


Neon Genesis Evangelion: Little Angel

by CoolJosh2002



Series: Little Angel [1]
Category: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Rebuild of Evangelion | Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition
Genre: Canon Compliant, Developing Relationship, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2020-12-09 00:43:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 133,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20986010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoolJosh2002/pseuds/CoolJosh2002
Summary: After the Angels are defeated, they become mini versions who stay with the person who defeated them. Hilarity ensues. Mainly comedic, but will get quite serious later on. Story is quite appropriate for anyone, although some things might get a bit sexual later on. (Mainly with Ireul)





	1. Angel Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinji arrives in Tokyo-3 after getting a message from his father. The Third Angel nearly kills Shinji, who is rescued by Misato. After a couple of unfortunate mishaps, they successfully arrive at NERV HQ.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So, this is something that I decided to do. While writing Chapter 21, I also decided to start rewriting some of the early chapters of this story, as some of them aren't as up to par as the current chapters. So, they will be completely rewritten, with some new scenes and extra content, as well as rewriting the already existing scenes. These will be released alongside new chapters, and will only cover up to around Chapter 13-15ish. The Chapters covering the first four episodes are definitely being rewritten, but after that there'll be some slight edits, but probably not worth a complete re-read unless I note otherwise.
> 
> The main thing here was incorporating more of the Manga, and using Rebuild as a base as well. I only actually started using the Manga and Rebuild alongside the anime around Chapter 10, when I started work on Episode 5, so now that we have that, there's some juicy new scenes here! But the main thing was updating what was already there as well.
> 
> Chapter 2 will be updated alongside the release of Chapter 22, so look forward to it!
> 
> Original AN: Welcome to Little Angel! The basic premise? The Angels become shoulder angels that help our favourite messed up in the head pilots as they progress in the series. This story will follow the Anime primarily, but I will include elements from Rebuild, and possibly the Manga (I've still yet to read it).
> 
> Because of Shinji's impressive record, Asuka gets Gaghiel, half of Israfel, Sandalphon and Sahaquiel. Rei gets Arael and Armisael. And the Bridge Crew at NERV gets Ireul. However, the shoulder Angels CAN be seen by anyone, as such, more hilarity ensues. (This is different to the original version, in which only the pilots, and anyone else who defeated them could see them.)
> 
> Music: Will be displayed using Italics displaying the Soundtrack and Track number throughout the chapters. If more than one track exists, pick one.

**July 15th, 2015**

It was a calm day that morning. To the young teenage boy who stood staring up at the sun like he usually did, this was a normal day. Nothing about this day spelt anything unusual. And yet, the boy felt strange, like something was supposed to happen. Yet nothing had changed. He'd gone to school, he'd been bullied, he'd been called the fatherless kid repeatedly. He'd gotten tired of it. Nothing changed. He thought that maybe the other kids could come up with something better than the fatherless kid, yet they never did.

He'd been told off by his Aunt and Uncle for hours at a time. He'd usually get detention because he'd get really annoyed with all of them. He'd become known as the fatherless kid who had quite the temper. He hated it.

'It reminds me of father.' The boy thought as he continued to stare at the sky. Today was just like any other day. Nothing changed. 'So, why do I feel different? Like something should be happening?' He thought, turning back towards his Aunt and Uncle's house. The usual type of thing. His Aunt and Uncle were waiting inside as the boy sat down for the evening.

Dinner was a rather unusual affair. Usually the room was silent. Talk didn't usually happen. Yet today was different. The boy knew the day would be different.

"Shinji?" The boy, Shinji, glanced up at his aunt as he picked at his food. "How was your day?"

"It was fine." Shinji replied, taking a bite of his food. "Nothing I haven't encountered before."

"Shinji, you know that those kids don't know what they're talking about." Shinji's Uncle said. "But you can't keep retaliating like that."

"Nothing changes. It's the same every time. Yeah, they don't know it, but it's true. My father abandoned me and left me once my mother died. He gave you the money and the burden of dealing with me. Because of all this, I have no friends. No one wants to be friends with the kid who was abandoned by his father." Shinji's Aunt glanced at her husband, the two adults sharing a small look. Shinji glanced up, wondering what his guardians were glancing at each other. "What is it?"

"Shinji, I'm sure you've had friends before, right?" Shinji frowned at his Aunt, narrowing his eyes.

"To answer you, yes, I have, but I can't remember her, it was years ago. She obviously doesn't care because she never kept in contact. I can barely remember what she looks like. Now don't change the subject, what are you looking at each other for?" Shinji's Aunt sighed, placing a small envelope on the desk. It was addressed directly to the teenager sitting near her. Shinji stared at the envelope, wondering what it could be.

"We got this in the mail a couple of days ago." Shinji's Uncle started, glancing at the boy sitting across from him. "It was addressed to you. We're not sure what to make of it. But, we have a feeling who it could be from…" Shinji glanced up at his Uncle, running words around in his head.

"Who?" He asked, staring at both his Aunt and Uncle.

"Why don't you open it and have a look." Shinji's Aunt said, returning to her food in front of her. Shinji glanced at her, before carefully picking up the envelope. He slowly ripped it open and pulled the small piece of paper out. He turned it around in his hand, flipping it up to see what it said. It said only a couple of words:

_Come.  
Gendo Ikari._

Shinji growled, dropping the letter on the table and standing up to leave the room. He hated it. He hated that his father had called for him. Not even a hello, not even a, how are you? Just one word: _Come._

'Of course,' Shinji thought, as his guardians looked at him in concern. 'He wouldn't call unless he had a reason to. Why do I even bother?'

"Shinji? Who was it from?" His Aunt asked, Shinji turned in the doorway, glancing at his Aunt.

"My father." He finally said, as his Aunt glanced at his Uncle, who sighed and ran his hand through his whitening hair. "I'm not going. Before you say anything I'm not going. He hasn't cared before, why would he now."

"Shinji, he wouldn't write unless he had a reason." His Uncle said, giving his nephew a look. "You'd better go." Shinji frowned, staring at his Uncle in distaste.

"Really? You want me to go back to him! The man who calls himself my father but abandoned me ten years ago! I'm not going! I'm not going to give him the time of day!"

"But you want to make him proud? Right?" His Aunt asked, causing Shinji to stop, glancing at the ground.

"Yes, of course. But he wouldn't care…"

"So, go to him. Show him that you're a different person than you were years ago." His Aunt said, giving him a small pat on the shoulder.

"I don't know why. I hate him. But I want him to appreciate me."

"Then show him you can. Show him you can fight back against what he thinks of you. He couldn't be a father then, but he could be now."

"But he hasn't said anything. Just Come."

"Then go, you don't know what he wants, but you can find out." Shinji glanced up, looking his Aunt in the face.

"Okay, I'll go. But don't pack my room up yet. I might come right back."

"We won't. And if you do, we'll still be here so you can have a home." His Aunt said, giving him a smile. "Now go pack, we'll get you on the way to your father, tomorrow." Shinji smiled slightly.

"Okay." Shinji simply said, leaving towards his own room, to pack his stuff up before he left his home for ten years. His Aunt returned to the table, where her husband sat in thought.

"You okay, darling?"

"Yes, I'm just wondering what exactly Gendo could want. He gave us the money to look after him, and told us to send him to him when he needed him. I just… don't know what for…" He finished, taking a sip of his coffee and contemplating.

* * *

**July 16th, 2015**

Shinji stared at the train sitting in front of him, the gateway towards a possible life with his father. He sighed as he turned to his Aunt and Uncle, who stood standing nearby under the hot sun. "Well, bye then." Shinji simply said, picking up his bags and turning towards the train, rolling the larger package in his hands his guardians had given him that morning. More stuff from his father.

"Goodbye, Shinji." His Uncle said, shaking the boys hand. "We hope we'll see you again."

"We'll see…" Shinji said, as he turned to his Aunt.

"Your mother would be so proud!" She said, tears in her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm sure…" Shinji said, staring down at the ground.

"Warning! This is the final call for the fast-track NERV train to Tokyo-3. This is the final call for the fast-track NERV train to Tokyo-3. Only personnel, and people given express permission may board this train." Shinji glanced up, staring at the sky once again.

"Well, I guess this is really goodbye." Shinji finally said, picking up his backpack and single back of belongings and headed towards the doors, entering the train. He watched out the window as the train left the station and headed towards his father, staring out as his now former guardians disappeared from sight as the train went through a tunnel. He sighed as he relaxed back in his seat, thinking things over in his head. He thought hard as the train moved quickly across the landscape. 'Why would my father want me to return? He made his thoughts on me pretty clear. What reasoning could he have? I've never had any cherished dreams or ambitions. I've usually just cut those off from my head. I never aspired for any sort of career or profession in the future. As I think back over my fourteen years of life, things seemed to happen as they had to. As I move forward in my life this will probably stay the same.' Shinji sat in silence, placing his headphones in his ears, hitting the play button on his SDAT player. The only thing that he owned that was once his father's. He let the music fill his ears, disconnecting himself from the world as he continued to think in silence. Wondering what meaning he could bring to the world. 'Because everything seems to happen as it should, I've never really cared if I got into a horrible accident and got severely injured, or died. I remember writing that in an essay once. The teacher told me to take my work seriously. Gave me a failing grade. Little does she know, I definitely did take it all seriously.' Shinji relaxed back once again, slipped out of the world. 'I never did take myself as a proper person. Something always felt off. But, I'll see what he wants. I'll see my father, and if I have to, stand up to him. Will he actually want me? I'll have to wait and see.'

Shinji had fallen asleep in the chair on the train ride over, the hours slipping by as the train continued to move, it was only early afternoon, when the teenage boy was abruptly awoken from his slumber as an echoing feminine voice echoed around the cabin.

"Warning. As of 12:30PM today, a special state of emergency has been declared in the Kanto and Chubu regions surrounding the Tokai district. This train will make an emergency stop at our next station at Tokyo-3. All passengers, please disembark immediately and head quickly towards your designated shelters. I repeat, as of 12:30PM today…" Shinji stared up at the ceiling in confusion, as the train began to slow down as come to a stop at his station.

"Well, at least it's we're I need to be." He said, pulling out the package his father gave him. "I wonder what could be in here?" He said to himself, as he stepped out of the train and onto the nearby pavement. He glanced up at the sky, the package continuing to roll around in his hands. "A State of Emergency, what for?" Shinji asked himself, glancing out at the roads away. They were empty. "Weird…" He said, stepping down the steps and into the city proper. "Better go find a payphone somewhere, so at least someone can find me." Shinji wandered into the city itself, unaware of the danger that was coming directly towards him.

* * *

**In the Year 2015 A.D.**

The sunlight shone brightly across the red water's surface. A remnant of a long past event that changed the shape of the world forever. Shimmering in the dancing of the waves underneath. The sunlight continued to shimmer in the waves of the water, as a large helicopter flew overhead, rocking the surface of the water slightly every time it moved.

As this occurred, a large creature, human-like in appearance, swiftly moved through the ocean current, a trail of various fish underneath. This creature was largely black in appearance, with some grey shoulders connecting to its thin, webbed hands. It had gills sitting on the sides of its rather straight and thin legs, finishing with some rather nasty looking features on its chest protecting a large red orb sitting in the centre of the creature's cheat. Despite the rather nice day, this creature was on a mission.

_Alright! It's time to fulfil my purpose in this life! Just got to get into the heart of this city… place… thing… and get down and find the large being that Dad told me about! Just got to take care of these machines sitting in the way and all will be good! Easy! Peasy!_

A loud clanging rattled the city borders as the battle-tanks of the United Nations moved towards their nearby positions. They'd been alerted to a situation nearby, and had moved quickly to intercept the target that was rapidly approaching. An entire fleet sat on the ocean border, turrets pointed out towards the calm sea. A small white bird came to rest of the front of one of the tanks, it's snout pointing calmly towards the ocean, where a once proud city once stood, now ruins under the ocean floor.

The creature glanced up as it moved, scoping out the fleet of tanks ahead.

_Wow! What a welcoming committee! I know of a way to let them know I'm here! Blam!_

With the creature's shout, a large spire of water quickly rose into the air, raining down on the downed buildings around the creature. The creature laughed to himself as the lone bird took off at the first sign of movement, the sound creating a lovely patter on the ocean surface.

* * *

A loudspeaker echoed around the barren streets of the city. "This is the emergency broadcast system! Please stand by and listen carefully for an emergency announcement! As of 12:30PM today, a special state of emergency has been declared for the Kanto and Chubu regions surrounding the Tokai district." A single boy, running through the city, could overhear the alerts as he went through the barren city, slowing to a walk as he stared around him. The train station nearby had completely shut, and nobody was around. "We request that all residents move swiftly and efficiently towards their designated shelters in evacuation. We repeat, as of 12:30PM today, a special state of emergency has been declared for the Kanto and Chubu regions surrounding the Tokai district…" The boy tuned the loudspeaker out as it repeated its report, staring out at the barren city.

He barely noticed as a loud siren alerted everyone as the cities buildings started to shift their locations accordingly for the threat that was coming right for them. He watched in awe as some of the buildings immediately started retracting into the ground. He started to wonder if he was seeing things, when a blue car sped past him, he backed up, staring at the driver in shock.

The woman driving the car obviously didn't notice him. With a red jacket and a very nice black dress, she wore a cross shaped pendant around her neck to complete her look. Of course, the woman wouldn't be complete without her signature purple hair. She glanced down at the GPS showing her route, obviously having not paid much attention to the road itself. The passenger's seat was her main source of annoyance, the person she was supposed to be collecting, a Shinji Ikari, his file opened on the seat beside her. "Dammit!" The woman said to herself, as she watched the GPS closely. "Of course, it would have to show up at a time like this! Not only that, but I've lost him as well! That's just my luck!"

Shinji glances out towards the blue car moving rapidly across the pavement. "Geez, why're they moving around so rapidly." He muttered walking into the city itself. He took a small note of the large weeds that loved to plague the footpath he walked along. "I almost got killed to, they really should watch we're they're going." He muttered to himself, as he continued on his journey to find any sort of pay phone. "It's so quiet. Something tells me it's not normally like this." Shinji muttered as he came upon a pay phone. "Finally," He said, stepping forward and putting some cash in, bringing the phone up to his ear.

"Due to the special state of emergency, all phone lines are currently out of service. This is a recorded message." Shinji glanced at the phone and placed it back down on the receiver.

"It's no good…" Shinji muttered to himself, glancing around the small area. "All the phones are out, including my own cell phone. The monorails are also all out of service. None of the buses are running either. Everything has been stopped, what am I going to do?" Shinji said, glancing around himself. "Well, better keep moving." He said, moving onwards, stepping towards the nearby steps. "This is the worst! I've got an appointment with my _father_, so naturally everything will be completely stopped! How am I going to get there now!?" Shinji asked himself, slumping down on the steps and staring about. "Well, might as well try and get to a shelter." He said, as he fumbled with his package from his father. "What even is the point of this? Is there some sort of war or something?" He asked himself as he pulled the package open, he pulled out a very inked over piece of paper with a single ID card sitting in it. He rolled his eyes as he pulled out another object, this time a photo.

This photo was of a very shapely woman, with purple hair sliding down her back. She wore a loose yellow top in the photo, and had bent herself over so her cleavage was in clear view. 'This doesn't seem like the type of photo to send to a 14 year old.' Shinji thought, as he read through the message on the photo:

_Hey Shinji!  
I'll be coming to get you okay? Here is a photo of me so you know what I look like! Just wait up and I'll be there as soon as I can!  
Misato Katsuragi  
PS. Feast your eyes on these!_

Shinji raised an eyebrow as he noticed the additional note included an arrow pointing at the woman's breasts. 'What a weird woman… Must be father's secretary or something… Why can't he just come get me himself. He called me here, so he should be here.' Shinji thought, pulling himself up and staring around him again. The world that had come into being after the events of the Second Impact. Shinji knew a little bit about it, but only what his old school textbooks spouted out at him. He knew that the world was quite a bit more out of place now, with half of the entire population being wiped out by Second Impact. The city was Tokyo-3, the third edition of Japan's capital. He knew the original had been wiped out by a nuclear strike in the ensuing months after Second Impact. Tokyo-2 still existed, and ran as the capital of the country. The Second Impact caused an entire shift in the Earth's gravitational movement, causing a permanent summer, even when it should have been winter.

"Well, there's nothing else I can do. Might as well walk those last two blocks to the station." He said, starting to walk towards the nearest station, glancing up he caught a small view of a blue-haired girl, standing staring at him in the distance, a regular school uniform on her form. 'What the…? Who is that?' Shinji thought, watching the girl. She blinked once. A gust of wind brought Shinji's attention towards a group of birds nearby, taking off from their perch. He brought his gaze back down to the girl, who was no longer there. 'Wait… wasn't there…?' Shinji's thoughts were broken by a large fighter jet flying incredibly close nearby, shocking the boy into confusion. "Why is he flying so low…" He said to himself, watching as it continued its line of flight.

A rumbling gust of wind caught Shinji's attention next, and the sound of soft but powerful stomping rang throughout the city. Shinji watched as the power lines rattled, and the store windows banged against their hinges. He turned, towards where the sound was coming from. He watched as a large group of United Nations VTOL fighters moved backwards away from something. Something that continued to thunder loud footsteps as it moved. It came into view, the creature that had approached the city through the red sea. It's footsteps thundering as it moved slowly but efficiently towards the city's epicentre. Shinji watched in shock, now knowing what the state of emergency was about. "What the hell… is that thing?" He muttered to himself as he took it all in. He had no idea what it was, but he needed to get out of there, and quick.

For Sachiel, had arrived.

* * *

Deep inside the depths of the city, stood a large pyramid shaped structure that was the designated Headquarters of NERV. Inside this structure, was a place called Central Dogma, the main source of action and location or everything that went on in the city. For the first time in months, the place was in utter chaos, the members of the United Nations taking a stand against the target ahead of them.

"An unidentified object has been spotted past the ocean sector! It's heading quickly and efficiently towards our very location!" One of the bridge crew of NERV, Maya Ibuki said, as she ran reports on her desk in front of her. This was a very tense time.

"We have confirmation on visual, rerouting the images to the main monitors!" Another one of the bridge crew said, one Makoto Hyuga. He noted this as he brought the images of the currently unknown target stalking Tokyo-3's airspace.

High above, signifying their own importance in the organisation, sat NERV Commander Gendo Ikari, his Sub-Commander Kozo Fuyutsuki standing dutifully not far behind. Both men watched as the main visual changed to show the target, still headily approaching their location. "Fifteen Years it has been since the Second Impact, hasn't it?" The Sub-Commander said, turning to his companion. Gendo sat in silence, his arms folded in front of his face.

"That is correct." Gendo calmly replied. "The time of trials and reckoning for humankind is now upon us. It cannot be avoided. The Angels have returned."

* * *

_\- Music from Evangelion 1.0 - Track 1 - L'Attaque des Anges –_

Shinji noticed immediately as the wind picked up momentarily, a large missile cruising along the shoreline. "Why would they be firing cruise missiles here!?" Shinji asked himself, ducking hard as the wind ran past him quickly. The missile headed quickly towards the target, smashing hard against the Angel, now known as Sachiel, causing it to stumble momentarily.

_Wow! You guys think that's cute huh!_

The missiles proceeded to explode on contact, causing massive damage to nearby structural surfaces, such as the nearby train station, being completely obliterated in the blast.

"Missiles away, direct hit!" The VTOL pilot said, alerting the UN Military at NERV that they'd fired the missiles successfully. Sachiel stared back at him, hard. "What!? But every single missile hit the target!"

"Our high-density missiles launched in an offensive attack and not even that could give the thing a dent!" Came the annoyed voice of one of the military members.

"All our warheads where fired at close range as well, sir." Came the voice of another VTOL pilot.

"Dammit! That thing is tough!"

"I hear you, sir! Men, we must try harder…" The man's sentence was cut off as Sachiel lifted its hand and fired its laser beams at the VTOL ahead on him. The VTOL was wrecked as soon as the laser came into contact, taking out the pilot with it. The VTOL began to fall, quickly.

_You're going to need more than that to actually defeat me! Did you really think that would be enough?_

"Everyone else, fall back immediately!" The new leader shouted out as the remaining VTOL's left the station of the battlefield, leaving their fallen comrade behind.

Shinji stared up as the VTOL immediately crashed to the ground. "Oh shit!" He called out, ducking out of the way as the VTOL smashed against the wall, causing more mass destruction in the heat of the day. Shinji shielded his eyes from any oncoming debris, knowing his time of death was fast approaching.

_You think that's all I can do? Let me show you this!_

Sachiel suddenly gained a beautiful halo and leapt high into the air, smashing down hard on the downed VTOL, finally bringing the downed vehicle and the pilot to their swift end, causing the entire vehicle to explode from the contact. Shinji shook as he lay on the ground, his eyes scrunched shut the entire time.

His wait for death didn't come, as the screeching of a car came straight around the corner, the door was swiftly opened, the voice of a woman ringing in Shinji's ears. "Damn! Can't believe I missed you! Sorry for making you wait!" Came the voice of Misato Katsuragi, looking down on him. Shinji sat there dumbfounded, wondering what had happened.

"Miss… K-Katsuragi…?" Shinji asked, from his spot on the ground.

"Yeah, it's me." Misato replied, swiftly glancing up at the Angel overhead. "Now hurry up and get in!"

"Right, of course." Shinji replied, quickly pulling himself up, and jumping into the front seat.

"Great! Now let's get out of here!" Misato replied, quickly shifting the care into reverse. "Hold on! It's going to be a bumpy ride!" Sachiel glanced down at them, noticing their presence.

_Gotcha!_

The missiles fired again, the Military had taken a short leave and head come back fighting. They exploded on the Angel's body once again, doing nothing to Sachiel itself. They did cause a large effect on Misato's car however, denting the roof pretty badly. Sachiel tried hard to stomp down on the car, but it got out in time, dragging away as quickly as possible.

Misato smirked as she hauled the car into drive, taking off down the main street of Tokyo-3. "Once again, sorry for being late! If I actually paid attention earlier we wouldn't be in this mess."

"No, it's fine…" Shinji replied, glancing out the window back at the Angel terrorising the city. "I feel like maybe I was the one who was late…" He muttered, causing the woman to look over at him.

"I wouldn't think of it like that Shinji." Misato replied, continuing off on her pursuit of getting away from Sachiel. "Today just happened to be a bad day." The sound of exploding missiles rang throughout the small car, reminding Shinji of just what was happening outside. "Stupid idiots!" Misato said, glancing through the rear-view mirror. "Their entire gulf-tank force has been wiped out. No matter how many rounds the UN fire at that thing, the missiles will cause next to no damage." She said, glancing over at the boy in the car.

"Just… what actually is that thing?" Shinji asked, indicating to the Angel out the back of the car. Misato gave him a small smile, continuing to break every road rule on the planet.

"You're acting awfully calm given the current circumstances." Misato commented, giving the boy an idle glance. Shinji blushed, staring down at the ground.

"You really think so?"

"Yes." Misato replied, making the boy feel more comfortable around her. "But to answer your question, that thing… is an Angel."

"An Angel?" Shinji asked, completely confused, having no idea what an Angel actually was, besides what his teachers told him in his religious studies classes. Not that he really paid attention to those.

"No time right now to give a proper explanation!" Misato replied, skidding the car around in a panic. A loud whoosh leaped over them again, the sound of another missile approaching the target at a steady pace. "Oh, for the love of…!" Misato cried out, as the missile instead chose to land and explode on the ground in front of them, causing the entire car to skid out of control, throwing Shinji and Misato from it, towards the ground.

Misato coughed as she stood up, a pained expression on her face, blinding her from the light. "Geez! They really are shooting blind aren't they, that's not the right thing to do in this situation assholes!" She turned to Shinji, who was limply trying to get up. She held out a hand to him, helping the boy pull himself up. "Are you okay, Shinji?"

"Yeah, yeah I think I'm all right." Shinji replied, wiping his face slightly. He turned to Misato, who was looking in horror up at the sky. "Misato?" She continued to gasp, turning immediately to bring Shinji to the ground with her, in an attempt to save their lives. He turned to the sky, where Sachiel stood staring down at them, menacingly.

_You guys were tough to chase forever, but I've found you now!_

Sachiel leaped high into the air, intent on landing down on the two humans hard and fast.

Death still didn't come, as just before Sachiel could land down on them, another large creature had appeared, giving the Angel a shoulder charge to put it down to rest. Sachiel resisted, pushing back against its new attacker. Shinji and Misato glanced up, Shinji as scared as ever.

"What!? There's another one!" Shinji said, turning to Misato in horror. Misato however, didn't look scared at all staring hard up at the new creature.

"No," She replied, continuing to stare at the new arrival. "This one is on our side." Shinji stared up into the purple and green face of the new creature, it's mechanical looking body gleaming in the sunlight. It moved again, this time to protect them from Sachiel's next attack, taking the brunt of it for them. The thing picked up the overturned car and turned it back on its wheels, rolling it towards them, continuing to protect them from Sachiel's continued assault.

"It's a robot, isn't it?" Shinji asked, in awe, turning to Misato, who frowned at her wrist, the watch sitting snugly on her wrist.

"Shoot! Just look at the time!" Misato said, turning and grabbing Shinji's arm, running straight towards the car, and jumping back in. "We can't just stand around here all day, unless we want to get killed! Get back in the car, quick! We have no time to waste!" Shinji gaped at the woman as he jumped back into the car, watching as Misato proceeded to quickly drive out of there.

"What did you mean by, time?" Shinji asked, watching as Misato frowned to herself.

"Just know we need to get out of here as fast as possible! Pray that we make it!" Misato said, driving fast out of the danger zone, getting back on the road that she needed to take to get to her ever-present location. Sachiel watched them go, intent on following them, the robot gave the Angel a good shove, returning its attention back to the machine in front of it.

Sachiel immediately attacked as soon as the car was driving away, immediately picking up the robot and spinning it around in its hands.

_How dare you take away my clear attack! I'll destroy you!_

The robot tried as hard as it could to escape, but the mixture of Sachiel's faster spinning and his arm lasers couldn't do much for the machine. It wasn't long before it was sent flying by Sachiel, who stared after it as the machine collapsed against the nearby building, flattening a small part of the structure. Sachiel stared back in satisfaction, as the robot struggled to pick itself up.

Shinji glanced back at the Angel over his shoulder, noticing how the Angel had immediately taken a foothold in the battle. "Misato! Our guy's currently getting clobbered!" Misato growled as she drove away quickly.

"Damn! We knew this would happen. It's too heavy a burden for Rei right now!"

* * *

Central Dogma continued to be a flurry of activity, as the machine took a continuous beating from Sachiel. Shigeru Aoba, the final member of the main bridge crew, was continually checking the Pilot's life signs, as Makoto relayed information. "The Pilot's life signs are dropping quickly. Heart rate and blood pressure are dropping rapidly."

"A-neural interface is down to 5%!" Maya supplied, checking hard on the continuous signs that the pilot inside the machine was dropping quickly.

"The Angel is haemorrhaging through the chest plate seams! The Unit won't hold much longer!" Shigeru stated, turning quickly towards the UN Generals, sitting guard over the entire room.

"It can't be helped." Gendo commented, from his position out to the side of the room. "Commence recovery of the Unit through Route 192 at maximum speed."

"Yes, sir!" Makoto replied, watching as Sachiel attempted another attack on the downed Unit. The Unit hung low, as it quickly slipped under the ground, the escape route sealing as soon as the Unit had disappeared.

_Hey! You aren't going to let me finish the job! Amateurs!_

"The target is still unharmed and continuing on its course towards Tokyo-3. Outer Defence Perimeter!" Came the report from inside Central Dogma, the place still a flurry of activity.

"Air Defence Force still don't have the fire power necessary to stop it. First wave attack is still ineffective." Came another relay from the battleground itself.

"We'll take charge from here!" Came the voice of one of the commanders of the Japanese Strategic Self Defence Force, or the JSSDF for short, the man sat beside two other commanders. "I want us to throw everything we have at it! Have Atsugi and Iruma mobilise as well! Close in and cut off the target's line of advance!"

"Don't hold any attack back! We must destroy that target at all costs!"

A new set of Tank Battalion and mobile missile launchers started firing hard on Sachiel, who was still stunned after the machine it was fighting before departed in the middle of the fight.

_Hey, wait a minute!_

The missiles slammed hard against Sachiel's face, the Angel glancing over and looking straight at the source. Missiles continued to fire at the Angel from all angles, doing more damage to the city itself than the target, who stood and took the damage that could reach it.

Suddenly, across the lake came a fleet of jets, each holding a single, large missile. Intent on firing hard at the target. One sent a missile straight at Sachiel, who caught it in his one hand and let the metal melt hard under the Angel's fingertips, ripping the structure apart. In unison, more jets dropped some missiles hard on the targets head. Sachiel glanced up, noticing the new barrage of missiles.

_Oh, come on!_

They all exploded at once, blowing up in his face and causing more damage to the city around him. The smoke that returned was thick, blocking out any sort of view to any outside force. Everyone in NERV HQ watched as the main screen cut to complete static. It slowly came back into focus, showing everyone inside the base the smoke clearing, revealing the Angel still standing, a brief crack on its face.

\- _End –_

"What the hell!" Came the voice of the third commander, slamming his fist down on the desk in front of him. "How it that possible!? It was a direct hit! Why's it still standing!?"

"The tank battalion has been wiped out, completely destroyed. Any sort of guided missiles and artillery fire had no effect. That thing walked over all our defences like it was nothing." The second commander said, on the far left. Leaning back in his chair.

"Dammit! We'll never get anywhere with any of the firepower that we have! I guess we'll just have to hit it harder!" The third commander said, once again slamming his fist on the table.

As the debacle occurred, Gendo and Fuyutsuki watched the proceedings with an air of calm. "So, it has an AT Field after all? Just like we expected." Fuyutsuki said, his hands bonded behind his back.

"Yes." Gendo replied, his face as stoic as ever. "As expected, Yui's research was correct after all. No conventional weapon of any kind can even touch an Angel."

Gendo and Fuyutsuki glanced over as the phone beside the JSSDF Commanders suddenly started ringing. The Third Commander picked it up, talking quickly with the other end. "I understand, sir. Yes, we'll deploy the mine according to our systems. The contingency plan will not fail." Sachiel didn't notice anything wrong, continuing on its voyage.

In the car far below, Shinji glanced out the window again, noticing the many VTOL's suddenly flying away from the target itself. "Um, Misato… Any reason why they're all suddenly running away from the monster?" Misato's eyes widened, glancing out the window, continuing to drive as far away as possible.

"I should've thought they would've done something like this." Misato replied, parking the car quickly and leaping on top of Shinji, giving the poor boy a face full of breast as they collapsed to the seat. "The Military are going to use an N2 Mine! Shit! Get down!" Far in the distance, the N2 Mine dropped gracefully towards the Angel, who once again stared up at it in interest. As soon as the mine made contact, it exploded in a giant mushroom cloud, the resulting sweeping wind knocking many of the plant life completely out of their sockets and flying through the air. Unfortunately, it also caught the car, causing both car and passengers to go rolling about in the air as it came to a slow but painful stop. The impacts hurt, and the car was completely totalled, but the Angel was dead… Right?

"Yeah!" The cheer came through Central Dogma, lead primarily by the JSSDF Commanders, who sat back in satisfaction. The second Commander turned smugly to the two Commanders of NERV, a satisfactory smile on his face. "Do you see that, Gentlemen? That right there was the power of our N2 Mines. It seems you won't be needed here after all! Your _robots _have no reason to be used in any of these situations again." Fuyutsuki and Gendo simply smirked, watching carefully as the operations continued with the bridge crew below.

"Shockwave currently approaching!" Came the voice of one of the many technicians. Everyone watched as the main screen cut to static, the aftermath of the explosion cutting all visual off.

* * *

The car was flipped upside down in the aftermath of the N2 Mine's explosion. Shinji and Misato were still in the car, but where now slightly out of the car's doors. Shinji glanced over at Misato, who was busy pulling herself up from the dirt.

"Are you okay, Miss. Katsuragi?" Shinji asked, spitting from his mouth, trying to get the taste of the ground out of his mouth. Misato glanced up at the sky, a frown on her face. "I can't take this anymore…" She muttered to herself, her features twisting in annoyance. "This is why I don't like the Military…"

"Uh, Miss. Katsuragi?" Shinji asked, still struggling to get up from the ground.

"Oh, sorry, Shinji! Are you alright?" She asked, giving the boy a hand so he could get back up from the ground.

"Sure…" Shinji replied, as Misato pulled him up to a standing position. "But… I think I ate quite a bit of dirt because of that thing.

"That's close enough to a yes. You'll be alright." Shinji gave the woman a small smile, making her give him a smile back in response. She turned towards her car, which she was going to get working again! "Alright, we need to get this car back on its wheels. Are you ready?" She asked, moving towards the car and getting into a pushing position.

"Yeah." Shinji bluntly replied, also moving towards the car, and getting into a pushing position himself.

"Alright, we'll go on three! One… two… three… Push!" Misato said, causing both of them to push hard against the car. The first time it didn't return to its feet. "One more time!" Misato called out, causing them to push against the car again. This time it worked, the car promptly slamming back onto its wheels. Misato looked at her car in satisfaction, brushing her hands on her skirt. She turned to Shinji, a smile on her face. "There, now that wasn't so bad was it. Thanks for your help, Shinji!"

Shinji blushed, stammering out a response to the woman. "It's fine, but I think I should be thanking you, Miss. Katsuragi." Misato grinned, pulling off her sunglasses, revealing her eyes to the boy for the first time.

"Oh please, Miss. Katsuragi makes me sound old. Just call me Misato. I'll also assume that you prefer Shinji, over Mr. Ikari." Misato asked, a teasing note in her voice, letting the boy in front of her know that she could be trusted.

Shinji chuckled to himself. "Yeah, yeah that sounds right." He finally said. Misato grinned at him, before moving back to the car and getting in.

"Well, we have places to be! Better get moving!" Shinji laughed as he got in the Passenger's seat, a smile on his usually blank face.

* * *

Central Dogma was still in a celebratory state, only Gendo and Fuyutsuki, as well as NERV's Bridge Crew continuing their operations. The JSSDF Commanders were having a gleeful chuckle, happy that their job was compete.

"What's the status of the target?" Came Fuyutsuki's voice, asking Makoto what was currently happening.

"Due to continuing radio-interference from the explosion, we still don't have direct confirmation of the target's status." Makoto relayed, satisfying Fuyutsuki, who turned towards the JSSDF Commanders, they had been listening carefully, and where currently annoyed at this revelation.

"It has to be dead." Came the voice of the third Commander. "Did you see that blast!? Nothing could have survived it!" Gendo smirked as the operations continued.

"External sensors have been restored." Came a voice from below deck, the main screen switching over to a wireframe view of the target's location. It was flat for a moment, before a large spike came through, sending the sensors haywire.

"We're picking up high-energy readings from Ground-Zero!" Makoto stated, surprise lining the man's features, he turned immediately to the JSSDF Commanders, who stood up in unison.

"What the fuck!" Came the loud voice of one of them, surprise and alarm on his face.

"External cameras have been restored." The visual of the target finally came back into focus. Sachiel stood still, staring directly at the camera. The Angel was most definitely not dead, despite the destruction of the explosion around it. As Sachiel stared hard at the camera, the entire crew noticed the loud screeching of Sachiel's gills flapping and creaking in the heat of the explosion. With a loud creek, the first face was shifted out of the way by a second face breaking through the skin, the skin fragments tearing from the effort.

"That was it." The first commander said, slumping back into his chair. "That was our ace in the hole.

"It had no effect on the target." The second commander said, also proceeding to slump into his chair. "Nothing at all.

The third commander decided to go with a more direct approach, proceeding to slam his fist on the table in a fit of rage. "That fucking monster!"

Sachiel watched slowly, his skin still charred from the explosion. The Angel sat, silently healing to anyone who saw, inside however, the Angel was currently uttering some… choice words… towards its maker.

_Sweet mother of Adam! How the hell does something like that hurt so much!_

Sachiel continued to stand, slowly healing from the damage it had taken.

* * *

Somehow, despite the insane and ridiculous amount of damage done to the car in the N2 Mine explosion. Apparently, a bit of duct tape and some stealing of batteries was all that was needed to get the car running again. As such, Misato drove along as normal, as if nothing had previously banged up the car on the way over. Shinji glanced out the window towards the landscape while Misato was busy speaking on the phone, which she had in her car, because why not. "Yes, I understand. Don't worry about it. His safety is our top priority. Would you be able to get a car train ready for us? Express of course!" Misato paused, as the conversation continued on the other end. "Well, I did volunteer to pick him up! Don't worry about it, I'll make sure he gets there in one piece! Alright, see ya!" Misato placed the phone down, thinking back over the day's events.

_\- Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I - Track 6 - Barefoot in the Park –_

_'_Man, this stinks!' Misato thought to herself, thinking back on the N2 Mine disaster. 'I just had my car restored and repaired and now it's already a total wreck! I've still got 12 more payments left on the lease, and the cost of repairs, and I don't think the insurance company will cover N2 Mines! And my dress, my favourite dress is ruined!"

"Um, Misato…?" Shinji asked, glancing over at the woman, who inside was currently having a massive panic attack, but to the boy looked perfectly fine.

'And don't forget… I looked so good in it!'

"Hey, excuse me, Misato?" Shinji said, louder this time, knocking the woman out of her trance. She turned to the boy, a smile on her face.

"Sorry, zoned out for a moment… What's up?" She asked, turning to the boy, giving him a glance. Shinji pointed over his shoulder, towards the batteries that had been hastily hooked up to the car.

"Those batteries… that we took. Are you sure we can just take them? Pretty sure there's a word for that. Theft?"

Misato laughed, moving one hand over to pat the boy's head, causing the teenager to swat her hand away. "Don't worry your head about it! We're in an emergency, and as we needed a working car to get to HQ, it'll be perfectly fine! I am a government official as well, so if we have any problems there's that. Okay? Okay!" Shinji just gave the woman an exasperated look.

"Wow, and you really think that everybody is going to buy that." Misato pouted, giving the boy a sad look.

"You're really no fun at all. You have a cute look, but you act more like a cold fish." Shinji frowned in reply.

"Is that so?" He asked, causing Misato to immediately move slightly, to bug the boy even more.

"Oh, are you angry, Shinji?" Shinji continued to give the woman a glare. "I'm sorry, Shinji! You're just a boy, after all." Shinji smirked back at her, preparing to give the woman a piece of his own medicine.

"Wow, really. Well, you're not as mature as I'd thought you'd be, Misato. In fact, you're quite childish for your age. Misato frowned, and giving the boy a smirk, immediately started to swerve left and right along the long road. Shinji immediately started freaking out, trying to grab the steering wheel and keep the car straight. "Hey, Misato! Keep your eyes on the road so you drive in a straight line!" Misato laughed, slowing the car back down to a more manageable speed. They continued to drive in silence for a while, Shinji staring out the window and taking in the scenery. Misato glanced over at the boy, in concern.

"Are you alright, Shinji? You're being awfully quiet. I didn't mean any of that stuff I said, you know." Misato asked, one eye on the road and one eye on the boy beside her. Shinji glanced back over, looking the woman in the eye.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He replied, quickly returning to staring out the window.

"You sure? I'd have thought you'd have been asking millions of questions by now." Misato replied, concern still on her face.

"Not really. Sorry…" Shinji replied, staring down at his lap. Misato gave him a sad smile, shifting slightly so she was facing him a bit better.

"You don't need to apologise about anything, Shinji." Misato replied. "It's just… I thought you would've had a whole bunch of questions. You know, natural responses." Shinji thought to himself for a moment.

"Well, considering you already answered some of my questions earlier, I decided not to ask them. You know, like how that thing is called an Angel." Misato smiled slightly, relaxing back in her seat.

"So, you're someone who likes to assume the worst, huh? I'd say that's pretty jaded. Like something an Adult would do, not a teenager like you." Misato said, leaning forward slightly. Shinji stared at the woman for a moment, before returning to a forward-facing view.

"I'm not jaded… I'm just following the directions that my Aunt and Uncle told me."

"Oh?" Misato bluntly replied, returning her view to the road ahead. "Well, that's fine." They fell into silence again, as their trip continued.

_– End –_

* * *

The local VTOL flew slowly around the airspace of the explosion, watching the Angel carefully and possibly waiting for any sudden movements. Sachiel continued to stand still, seemingly unaware. However, the Angel knew the VTOL was there, and scouting the area.

_Don't think I can't see you! Just because I'm not moving around doesn't mean I couldn't destroy you in a heartbeat!_

Back at Central Dogma, Sachiel's body could be seen on the main screen. Its new head glowed a brilliant red colour through its eyes, some boils now pumping blood quickly and aggressively for the Angel.

"As we have predicted, the Angel is currently regenerating itself." Shigeru stated, the view of the Angel continually being disturbing.

"The Third Angel." Gendo stated, watching the Angel carefully. "If it couldn't regenerate itself, it wouldn't be operating without any support." Fuyutsuki nodded in agreement, watching as Gendo stood and walked towards the main floor, so everyone could see him. Sachiel's eye flashed, and the viewpoint was killed once again.

"It's quite impressive." Fuyutsuki stated. "It appears it can also upgrade its own functions."

"Yes." Gendo replied, standing in clear view in the middle of the room. "A perfect living specimen. This is to be expected. Those who ate from the Fruit of Life. They exist to terminate us… we, who ate from the Fruit of Wisdom. But, like any living specimen, it's also getting smarter." Gendo stated, staring at the static screen ahead of him.

"It will only be a matter of time before the Angel resumes its attack." Fuyutsuki stated as the main screen returned to its feed, a look at the Angel's back, as it started to advance on Tokyo-3 once again. Gendo turned immediately, staring up at the JSSDF leaders, as they currently contemplated hard on the situation, talking between each other as they talked about what to do.

The main commander sat on the phone, talking to the man on the other end gracefully. "Yes, understood. Of course. Good day." The main commander nodded finally, putting the phone down and turning towards Gendo, who stood staring straight at him. "Ikari. We've just received word from HQ. From this moment forward, operational command of this situation has been transferred to you. It's time that you show us what it is you can do, and not that show from earlier. Don't betray our trust."

"Understood." Gendo calmly replied, his gaze unmoving.

"Mr. Ikari! It's become clear to us that our own weapons were ineffectual against the target. This makes you our last line of defence. But… do you really think that you have the ability to take this target out?"

Gendo thinly smiled back up at the Commanders, pushing his glasses up his face. "Do not be concerned, gentlemen. After all, this is what NERV was created for."

"Then let us hope that you are correct." The JSSDF Commanders finally finished, their platform descending from Central Dogma, leaving entire command of the operation in NERV's hands.

"Current status of the target?" Fuyutsuki asked, directly towards Makoto, who noted a few things down in front of him.

"The target is still stationary, taking slow steps towards our location." Makoto stated, turning to Shigeru, who was busy bringing up numbers from his own station.

"Estimation of interception stands at 7.5%." Shigeru stated, turning towards the Sub-Commander, who replied in agitation.

"So," Fuyutsuki said, turning to Gendo, who hadn't moved in the slightest. "The UN forces have finally decided to retire. What are we going to do?"

Gendo turned, staring his Sub-Commander right in the face. "We'll be reinitialising Unit-01." He calmly stated, causing Maya to immediately jump in with her own comments.

"Unit-01!? But we can't, sir. We have no pilots left! Rei is still recovering in the hospital; do you really want to send her out again!" She asked, confusion and shock on her face. Fuyutsuki calmed the girl down, turning towards the Commander of NERV.

"Lieutenant Ibuki is right Ikari. We can't activate Unit-01. We have no pilot." Gendo smirked once again, turning away from the bridge crew.

"There is no need for concern, as we don't have any problems." Gendo replied, staring down at the nearby station, where the security feed of NERV HQ, stood. "Our reserve pilot has just arrived."

"Reserve Pilot?" Fuyutsuki asked, standing beside Gendo and also glancing down at the security feeds. What he saw shocked him.

"Yes." Gendo replied, staring back at the Angel. "The Third Child has been found."

* * *

Shinji glanced around him as the car drove into a darker, tunnel-like place. He was watching around him carefully, when he was caught off guard by a rather feminine voice. "The gates are now closing, please stand by." The car stopped dutifully on the car train, just as Misato stated before. The door slid shut behind them, locking twice, the title NERV being seen on the side.

The train started moving slowly, causing Shinji to turn to Misato in confusion. "The Special Military Agency NERV? What's that?" Misato turned to Shinji, intent on answering.

"Yep. We're an unpublicised organisation under the direct control of the United Nations." Misato replied, relaxing back for the first time since arriving on the train.

"So… this is where my father works then?" Shinji asked, concern coming onto his features directly.

"Yeah, of course!" Misato replied, turning to face the boy, knowing they would be having a conversation here. "You do know what your father does, don't you?" Misato asked, wondering exactly how much Shinji knew of his father's work. Shinji frowned slightly, staring out the front of the car, thoughts streaming through his mind.

"All I know is what my Aunt and Uncle told me. That what my father did was vital to the survival of mankind, and whether we'd have a future." Shinji replied, staring forward. Misato glanced at the boy slightly, returning to her front facing view. The car train continuing to trail into the depths below the city. "Misato?" Said woman glanced up, turning to Shinji, who's view hadn't changed in the slightest, but he had spoken. "Are we going to be meeting up with my father?" He asked, still facing forward. Misato turned back to the seat, unsure how to reply.

"I don't know." She finally decided. "It depends, I guess. I don't see any reason why he wouldn't though." She said, neither of them facing each other. Shinji didn't reply, his face contorting from painful memories of his past. The day that his father had dumped him at the train station, with his SDAT Player and a single bag of stuff, and promptly turned around and left once his Aunt and Uncle had arrived. He could still vividly remember his form disappearing into the distance through the tears in his own eyes.

'Father…'

As Shinji thought, the car train continued on its path, heading further and further beneath the city.

"Oh right, that reminds me. As we were talking about your father, did you happen to get an ID card from him?" Misato suddenly asked, causing the young boy to turn to the woman immediately.

"Yeah, he did." Shinji replied, leaning forward to find the package that he'd been sent. He dug around inside it for a bit, before pulling out the tattered and crumpled piece of paper. He pulled it out and gave it to Misato. "Here it is. I'm sorry it's a bit… messy…"

"That's alright." Misato assured him, as she took the paper and glanced over it, satisfied. She then pulled out a green handbook from the side pocket of the car, handing it to Shinji. "Here, you'd better start reading this." Shinji stared at it for a moment, taking it and putting it in his lap.

_Welcome to NERV  
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY_

"NERV…" Shinji said, staring at the cover. "My father's agency." Shinji glanced over, the book still held tightly in his hands. "Am I going to be working for them too?" He asked. Misato didn't answer, staring at the ceiling. "Of course. That's why he sent for me. What other reason would he send for me. I thought he'd completely forgotten about me." Shinji muttered, still annoyed at his father for years of mistreatment.

"Perhaps you might find it easier to ask him directly, right?" Misato asked, picking at her earrings for a moment. She glanced over to find Shinji not replying. "Right, by the looks of things, it sounds like you and your dad don't get along very well." She said, watching as the car train took them further below, where a small light could now be seen in the distance. "I guess that's something we have in common, huh?" Shinji glanced up, wondering why this woman could possibly be trying to connect with him. He turned back to staring at his lap after a moment.

"It's not that." He finally said. "It's just that this entire situation is very inconvenient. Besides," Shinji said, as they passed by the light, finally seeing something other than darkness for the first time in a while. "I know that if we do end up seeing each other, we're just going to end up butting heads." He slowed down his speech as he glanced at the new place around him in awe.

_\- Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I - Track 11 - Tokyo-3 –_

It was a largely dome like place, with the buildings of Tokyo-3 situated in the roof, hanging above the vast lake and trees making up much of the field below. Sitting in the middle stood the main triangular pyramid that was NERV HQ, standing proudly in the middle of the beautiful field. "What is this?" Shinji asked in awe, staring around him, trying as hard as he could to get a good look out of the car. "Wait… this is a real Geofront!"

"That's right." Misato replied, revelling in watching the boy be amazed by something that wasn't trying to kill them in some way. "This right here is our secret underground base, NERV Headquarters. This place is the keystone to the rebuilding of our world, and the stronghold for humanity's survival."

_\- End -_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how was that!? I think it came out quite well to be honest. Lots of new stuff here, mainly taking from the Manga, but also incorporating some Rebuild dialogue into the Chapter that is different to the Anime. It's not much, but I've incorporated it if I felt it fit. Also, I have to note, Episodes 1-6 and Rebuild 1.11 are literally virtually identical. Look at scenes side to side. They are literally the exact same.
> 
> Also, I kind've have to note that this chapter alone tripled in length from this rewrite. It was around 3,000 Words. Now it's about 10,000 Words… So, that's fun! There's not much that I could actually add here, besides the Manga scenes, so there you go! Most of that came from simply rewriting what was already there!
> 
> Original EAN: So, Chapter 1 is complete! The second half of Episode 1 will be next chapter, and will go like this for the rest of the story. Basically, each Episode will go across two chapters, cutting off where the English title appears in the actual series. Each chapter will also be named after an episode title if it is based on an episode. Although, next chapter will have a different name because the name's the same in Japanese and English.
> 
> Also, you may notice some differences in terms of Character backstories. Some ideas will be taken from the Manga and Rebuild, so watch out for those.
> 
> Until the 2nd, Ciao!


	2. Unit-01

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinji finds out about NERV's real goal, the destruction of the Angels. He finds out he is the Third Child, and the designated pilot of Evangelion Unit-01. Shinji gets into the giant cyborg after a brief argument with his father, where he meets the Third Angel on the streets of Tokyo-3.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2! The second half of Episode 1 here. The main point of the story will not start until next chapter, but I love writing Sachiel's thoughts before he becomes a shoulder angel. Anyway, the battle itself won't be for another couple chapters, but enjoy the introduction of our favourite Eva Unit, and the reunion of Father and Son!

**July 16th, 2015.**

"That's strange. I'm sure this was the right way." Misato held out a rather crude map of NERV HQ out in front of her as the door opened to the open air. The travelator moved along the path, taking both Misato and Shinji along it. "These things are the reason I hate wearing skirts here. I wonder where the heck Ritsuko is. I'm sorry," Misato said to Shinji, who continued to read the manual, "I'm not completely used to this maze of a place yet."

"Misato, we've passed here a little while ago." Shinji stated, not looking up from his manual. Misato frowned slightly, but cheered up quite quickly.

"Well don't worry about it! These systems were made to be used you know."

* * *

"Would the head of Project E, Technical Department Division 1, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, please contact Captain Misato Katsuragi of Operations, Division 1, immediately." The blonde doctor slowly got out of the tanks around the Technical Department. Stripping from her bodysuit, Ritsuko turned, pulling the goggles off.

"Again? I don't believe it. She needs to get a hold of herself."

* * *

The Elevator stopped at 8-28. Misato stood in front of the door, ready to head through. The door opened, and in entered Ritsuko. "Uh... Hi, Ritsuko." Upon entry, the door closed shut again, as Ritsuko began to reprimand Misato.

"Why are you wasting my time, Captain Katsuragi? You do know we are both short on time and manpower."

"Sorry!" Ritsuko sighed, before turning slightly to Shinji, who still stood reading the manual.

"So, this is him?"

"Yep. According to the Marduk Report, he is the designated Third Child."

"Hmm. I'm Ritsuko Akagi, pleased to meet you." Shinji glanced up a moment, looking at the doctor.

"Sure." Misato smiled slightly as she spoke to Ritsuko.

"I'm afraid he's just like his father. He's... undearing."

* * *

"Fuyutsuki, I'm leaving you in charge." Gendo stated as he prepared to depart Central Dogma. The left took Gendo down into the depths of NERV HQ. Fuyutsuki watched as he smiled sadly.

"Their first meeting in over three years..."

"Sub-Commander, the target has started moving again!"

"Okay, all personnel, assume battle stations, Level 1."

* * *

"Here we go." Misato said as a lift took them through the depths of NERV HQ.

"It sounds pretty serious." Ritsuko remarked in reply.

"So, how's Unit-01 going?"

"It's currently in refrigeration, using the B-Type equipment."

"Will it work? It's never worked before, has it?"

"The possibility of Unit-01 activating is 0.000000001%. Pathetically, around here we call it the O-9 system."

"Does that mean it doesn't work?"

"Don't be insulting, it's not zero."

"Well, it is just a number! Although, I suppose it would be a bit late to say: Sorry, it didn't work." Upon reaching the top of the elevator, the small group moved to a small boat to take them across the water-type substance. At the other end, they went though a small door. The door closed behind them, sealing the room in darkness.

"What!? Why is it so dark in here!?" Shinji shouted before the lights turned on. Right in front of him, was a giant purple head, with yellow eyes piercing into his soul. "A face? Is this a giant robot?" Shinji quickly ducked his head into the manual, searching quickly for any information.

"You won't find this in there." Ritsuko supplied, "This is mankind's ultimate multipurpose decisive weapon, the synthetic lifeform known as Evangelion, Unit-01. Build here in absolute secrecy, it is mankind's last hope."

"Is this part of what my father was doing?"

"Correct." Shinji looked up, standing above the head of Unit-01, was Gendo Ikari. "It's been a while."

"Father..." Shinji started to feel overwhelming feelings of pain, and anger, at the man that abandoned him at the age of 4. The man who was his father. Gendo smirked up above.

"We're moving out!"

_\- Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I - Track 12 - I. Shinji -_

"Moving out!?" Misato shouted in shock. "Unit-00's still in cryo-stasis!" Misato glanced at the visage of Unit-01 as she realised what was happening. "Wait... you're not planning on using Unit-01!?"

"There's no other way." Ritsuko replied.

"Rei can't do it, can't she. She's still recovering from the Unit-00 activation test. We have no pilot!"

"We have just received one, Captain."

"You're serious?"

"Shinji Ikari..." Shinji glanced up at Ritsuko, having an underlying theory about what was going to happen. "You will be the pilot."

"Don't give me this bullshit, Rits! Rei took seven months to synchronise with her Eva. It's impossible for Shinji to do it! He just got here!"

"He just has to sit in the seat. We don't expect much more than that."

"But..."

"Repelling that Angel is our top priority, Captain. If we have someone who can possibly sync with the Eva, then we have to give it a shot, no matter the risks. I believe you understand that, Captain Katsuragi." Misato stood in thought for a moment.

"Yes, ma'am..." Shinji stood, shaking as he got angrier by the minute.

"Father!" Shinji sudden outburst shocked a lot of people, both on the bridge, and the technicians tending to Unit-01. "Why did you send for me!?"

"You know why. I have a use for you."

"So, you're asking me to take this thing, I've never seen in my life, with no prior knowledge or training, and just fight!"

"That is correct."

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME!? WHY THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THIS NOW!? I THOUGHT YOU DIDN'T WANT ME, I THOUGHT I COULD ESCAPE FROM YOU, I HATE YOU FATHER, I HATE YOU!"

"I need you because I now have a use for you."

"Why me?" Shinji said, dejected. "Why not someone else?"

"Because you are the only one who can."

"No, father! I can't!" Shinji said, returning to his anger. "I CAN'T DO THIS!"

"You will be instructed."

"YOU THINK THAT SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS CAN HELP ME OUT. I'VE NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE! I CAN'T PILOT IT FATHER! YOU WON'T MAKE ME!"

"If you're going to do it, do it now. If not, then leave!" Shinji stared straight ahead as the ground started to rumble.

Up above, Sachiel was surveying the landscape.

_Ooooooooohh! The pull is stong here. Maybe... if I just go... Blam!_

_\- End -_

The explosion caused the ceiling lights in the cage to start rattling above. Gendo stared, not moving. "It's close. It has spotted us."

_Blam again!_

Another explosion erupted close to the cage as Ritsuko looked at Shinji. "Shinji! We don't have time." Shinji gulped, then looked at Misato. The look on her face was not one he knew her for. Her face was stony, with no emotion.

"Get inside."

"No! This is wrong! I didn't come here for this!" Misato's face softened, realising she had been hard on the boy. She leant down to speak to him.

"Why, Shinji? Why did you come? You mustn't run away! Not from your father, and definitely not from yourself."

"I know! But... there's no way that I can do it!" Misato stood, a slight sadness in her eyes. Ritsuko continued to watch with a blank face. Gendo watched the conversation from above with disappointment in his eyes.

"Fuyutsuki!" The video screen came on, revealing the Sub-Commander.

"Commander."

"Wake up Rei."

"Can we use her?"

"She's not dead yet."

"Understood." The call cut off, leaving a Sound Only recording coming through.

"Rei?"

"Yes?"

"The third is useless. You will pilot again."

"Understood..."

Ritsuko glared at Shinji a moment, before calling to the technicians. "Reconfigure Unit-01's systems for Rei, then reactivate!"

"Roger. Calling off all present work, then reactivating."

_\- NGE: S2 Works - Disc 3, Track 31 - A-13 A-Type -_

'Dammit, Father! I knew it! I'm weak! I'm not needed after all! I never was...' The door to the cage suddenly opened, coming through was a hospital bed, and on it, a pale girl with red eyes and blue hair, wearing a full body suit that had been cut off at the arms. Shinji glanced at her as the bed passed him. Slowly, the girl got up, she was in considerable pain. Shinji continued looking over, 'She can't do this. She's already in so much pain...'

_Blam Round 3!  
_

_\- End -_

The explosion bored through the final protective layers of the Geofront, opening it up. Buildings from above fell around the NERV HQ pyramid, creating massive shaking in Headquarters below.

_Oooooooooohh! That was a big hole! Me likey!_

The cage shook rapidly. The girl fell off the bed, landing on the metal floor hard. She was in considerably more pain than before. The rattling got so bad, the lights from above started to fall. Shinji glanced up as the lights began to fall quickly towards him. 'Well, this is it. Death by light.' Shinji thought as Misato looked on in terror.

Suddenly, Unit-01 broke its restraints and moved its arm. The lights hit the hand that was now protecting Shinji. Gendo smirked up above. All was going to plan.

"The Eva's hand, it moved! It ripped right out of the arm restraint!"

"No! That's impossible!" Ritsuko replied, "Unit-01 didn't even have an Entry Plug inserted! There's no way Unit-01 could've moved!"

"You mean, it reacted without any interface?" Misato asked as she slowly got up from the ground. "Or, was it willing to protect someone...? To protect Shinji?" Realisation dawned on Misato's face. They had a fighting chance now. "It's him. We can do it."

Shinji got up and ran over to the girl, still lying on the floor in considerable pain. Gently cradling her in his arms, she gave another gasp of pain. Shinji glanced over at Unit-01. It's eye activated for a moment, staring straight at him. He looked back at the girl, who continued to gasp in pain. Taking a look at his hand, it was covered in blood. Fear overtook Shinji, as he started to chant to himself. "I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away!" Making his decision, Shinji looked up at Misato. "I'll do it. I'll pilot the Eva!"

* * *

\- _Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I - Track 13 - EVA-01 -  
\- Music from Evangelion 1.0 - Track 3 - Premiere Manœuvre -_

The cage started to drain as maintenance started the start-up procedure.

"Cooling process, completed."

"Right arm, re-secured."

"Cage now in position for docking."

"Roger." A woman in Central Dogma noted, she was one of the bridge bunnies, NERV's main personnel for missions. Her name... Maya Ibuki. "Signal termination plug has been ejected."

"Roger. Inserting Entry Plug." The crane mechanism moved the Entry Plug into place. Shinji had already got in. The Eva closed the hatch, the Entry Plug in place. "Entry Plug has been inserted. First Stage connection initiated."

Shinji glanced forward as the Entry Plug flashed various colours in front of him. "Filling the Entry Plug." Come over the speaker as Shinji wondered what that meant. He didn't have to wonder long though, as the Entry Plug started to fill with a blood red substance.

"What is this stuff!?" Shinji asked as the liquid went past his face, holding his breath, he waited.

"Relax. Once your lungs are filled with LCL, your blood will be oxygenated directly. It's alright. You'll get used to it." Ritsuko supplied from Central Dogma as Shinji reluctantly let go of his breath.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Shinji supplied as preparations continued.

"Stop complaining! You're a boy aren't you?" Shinji frowned at Misato as crane started to connect power.

"Connecting main power." After a moment, the crane pulled away, leaving Unit-01 with a plug n its back.

"All circuits, transmitting power."

"Roger. Connecting secondary contacts." The LCL became clear in the Entry Plug. As Shinji glanced forward a moment. "A-10 nerve connection, normal." As the Eva went through its start up, the Entry Plug flashed many patterns and colours. "Setting primary performance language to Japanese."

"All preliminary contacts established. Performance nominal." The Entry Plug stopped flashing, and showed the outside of the Eva. The cage wall looked right at Shinji inside the Entry Plug.

"Bi-directional circuits are open."

"Synchronisation ratio at 41.3%." Maya supplied as Ritsuko looked over her shoulder.

"Amazing! And this is without the use of a Plug Suit!"

"Harmonics seem all normal. No disturbances identified."

"Let's do it!" Misato nodded at Ritsuko in confirmation.

"Begin launch preparation!"

"Beginning launch sequence!" The gates to the cage opened as Unit-01 prepared to be moved.

"Removing primary lock bolts." Bolts holding the shoulders in place came off.

"Disengagement confirmed. Disengaging Umbilical Bridge." The bridge moved away from the Eva, giving the Unit a bit more room.

"Removing secondary lock bolts." More bolts came out of the wall. "Removing primary restraints." Allowing the restraints to come away from Unit-01.

"Likewise, disengage secondary restraints." The other walls come off Unit-01 as well.

"Releasing safety locks numbers one through fifteen. Release confirmed. Unit-01's condition is free. Internal batteries, fully charged! External battery outlet, normal."

"Roger." Maya confirmed. "Move Unit-01 safely to the launch pad."

Inside, Shinji had a determined look on his face as the Eva moved slowly. Upon entering the launch pad, the Eva was locked into place. Hatches above started to open, giving a route to the surface. "Launch path is clear. All systems green."

_\- End -_

"Unit-01 is ready for launch." Misato nodded at Ritsuko and Maya.

"Understood." Misato turned to Commander Ikari, for final confirmation. "Can we really do this?"

"Of course. We have no other choice. Unless the Angels are defeated. We have no future."

"Ikari." Fuyutsuki stated. "You're really sure about this?" Gendo simply smirked.

_\- Music from Evangelion 1.0 - Track 4 - Staggering Yet -_

"Evangelion Unit-01, Launch!" Misato cried as the launch pad shot up towards the surface. Shinji screaming the entire way up.

Up on the surface, Sachiel rounded a corner, glancing around, something didn't feel right.

_What's that noise? Shut up! I'm trying to consummate with the being below here!_

As the ground started to beep, Sachiel turned to the source.

_What's that?_

The ground opened up, and out came Unit-01, standing, final restraints still attached.

_Oh my god! That thing looks awesome! Wonder why it feels familiar though._

Inside Unit-01, Shinji looked forward in terror as Sachiel stared at him. Nobody moved, Unit-01, Sachiel, everyone in Central Dogma. Everyone simply looked as their last hope stood in wait. 'Shinji,' Misato thought to herself, 'don't get killed out there.'

_\- End -_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Episode 1, and Chapter 2! Chapter 3 will go straight into Episode 2, and we will finally start seeing the main plot of this story start to unfold. Now, the story will start quite comedic, and will not really get dark until the later half. Considering the last five Angels, as well as EoE, this story will not fully be a comedy, as that's just not what Evangelion is. Also, Shinji/Asuka is endgame for this story, as anyone who knows me should know, and I already know where the start of the relationship will be. Sachiel's inner monologues are great and all, but when the Angel is defeated, that's where the fun really starts. I hope you enjoyed this rather straight forward adaptation of Episode 1.
> 
> Changes made to original story (From Manga/Rebuild):  
I will note changes made to the Original Anime here as they happen, I missed the first chapter so I will note that here as well.  
Shinji's personality is a mix of Manga/Anime, I like Manga Shinji quite a bit, but I also want to keep what makes Shinji, Shinji, so that's I'm doing this approach. Shinji's Manga personality has already come out a little bit.  
Shinji's background comes from the Manga primarily, in fact a lot of characters will. The Manga just has more interesting backstories.  
LCL is coloured blood red instead of orange, this comes from Rebuild. I think the colour fits better for what LCL actually is.
> 
> Anyway, until the 3rd, Ciao!


	3. Unfamiliar Ceiling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinji is taken out by the Third Angel pretty easily. Waking up a few days later, Shinji moves in with Misato. On the way home, Misato shows Shinji the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Episode 2! This one picks up right where Episode 1 lets off. Shinji will fight Sachiel... a little bit in this chapter, the rest of the fight will take place in a flashback next chapter. However, we'll finally get to meet Sachiel as a shoulder Angel in this chapter! So look forward to that! I also want to note an addition to Sachiel's personality, he'll go Blam whenever he blows something up.
> 
> I should note that this story will not be all comedy, while it may start like that, when we get to about Episode 15 onwards, and EoE, things are going to get a lot darker, although the reasons behind things happening may change.

**July 16th, 2015**

_\- NGE: S2 Works - Disc 3, Track 8 - E-5 Rhythm Only -_

Unit-01 and Sachiel stood, facing off in a small street in Tokyo-3. Shinji sat inside the Entry Plug of Unit-01, an apprehensive look on his face.

"Shinji, are you ready?" Misato's voice came from the com line as Shinji slowly replied.

"Yeah."

"Release the final safety locks!" The safety locks came off, rendering Unit-01 ready for combat. "Evangelion Unit-01, move out!" Unit-01 slumped forward a little bit as the restraints came off. Shinji was now in complete control of Unit-01.

"Shinji, let's just concentrate on walking for now." Ritsuko's voice came over the com line.

"Walk..." Shinji thought in various amounts of distress at the situation as a whole. At the thought, Unit-01 took a cautious step forward.

"He's walking!" Ristuko exclaimed at the sight from Central Dogma, as Shinji attempted another step. This time, the Unit buckled and fell to the ground, flat on its face.

_\- End -_

_Wow. You suck at this, giant purple thing._

"Shinji! Are you okay!? Hurry, you need to get up!" Misato's voice came frantically over the com line as Shinji glanced up, straight into Sachiel's face.

_\- Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I - Track 3 - Angel Attack -  
\- Music from Evangelion 1.0 - Track 1 - L'Attaque des Anges -_

_I think I need to show you something!_

Sachiel lifted up Unit-01 by its head, holding it high in the air. Shinji, staring out of the cockpit, looked straight into a red orb on Sachiel's hand. Shinji started to hyperventilate as Sachiel took hold of Unit-01's right arm, and started to twist and stretch it.

"Shinji, calm down! That's not your actual arm!" Shinji wasn't paying Misato any attention though, as he was busy trying to prevent the pain in his arm. Sachiel continued to twist and pull as the bridge looked on in terror.

"What's going on with the Eva's defence system!?"

"The signal's not working!" Maya replied to Ritsuko.

"The A.T. Field is not deploying!" Shouted a male close by.

"It's not up! Have we failed?" Ritsuko stated as Sachiel continued his assault on Unit-01. Sachiel managed to break Unit-01's right hand, causing alarm to go through everyone.

"Left arm damaged!"

"The circuits have disconnected!" Sachiel lifted Unit-01 further into the air by its head, a beam of light started to come out the back of Sachiel's arm.

_Going to have to teach you a lesson! Can't have you keeping me distracted!_

The orb on Sachiel's hand started to glow a bright white.

"Shinji! Look out!" Sachiel mentally smirked as he started assaulting Unit-01's head with its laser.

_Blam!_

_Blam!_

_Blam!_

_Blam!_

Cracks started to appear in Unit-01's visual feed. Shinji staring in shock and pain.

"Cracks are starting to appear on the front of the cranium!" Maya called out in alarm.

"The armour won't last much longer!" Ritsuko replied as Sachiel continued his assault.

_Blam!_

_Blam!_

_And BLAM!_

The laser went right through Unit-01's head, sending the Eva Unit flying backwards into a building. Unit-01 slumped against the building, blood spraying from its face.

"Unit-01's head has been damaged! Extent of the damage is unknown!"

"The control nerves are disconnecting, one after another!"

"We aren't getting any life-sign readings from the pilot!"

"Shinji!"

-_ End -_

* * *

**July 20th, 2015**

Shinji woke up suddenly. Noticing he was in a hospital bed, he sat up to get the sun out of his face. Glancing around, memories of the battle flowing through his head. He slumped back against the bed, staring at the ceiling above.

"An unfamiliar ceiling."

"Do you usually speak to yourself, kid?" Shinji froze, he was hearing things, he had to be, there wasn't anyone in the room but him. "Hey, kid." A weird looking, alien like hand waved in front of his face. Shinji turned slowly, where, sitting on the small table, was a tiny version of the Angel he had defeated what felt like minutes ago, staring right at him in wonder. "You gonna answer my question?"

"W-What are you?"

"Me? I'm an angel, sent here to start contemplation and make the world a better place. At least, I was until you defeated me."

"O-Okay?"

"I thought I would just die, but it turns out I didn't, and since you defeated me, I get to stick around here for a while! Conveniant, huh?"

"Sure."

"Don't sound so down, kid. I'm not going to kill you, and considering you killed me, I'm going to stick around for a bit. More of my siblings will be coming, you know."

"R-Really? There's more of you?"

"Yep. But don't feel so down about it, kid. I'll help you out! And considering that everyone can see me, you don't have to have everyone think you're crazy either!"

"R-Right."

"Anyway, what's your name, kid?"

"Shinji. S-Shinji Ikari."

"Nice to meet ya, Shinji! Name's Sachiel. I'll be your resident best friend from here on out!"

"That's... nice..."

"Don't mention it. Now, I don't think everyone's really come to terms with my being here right now. Some blonde haired lady came in wearing some weird white thing and gave me a strange look, as if she was seeing things. While some other purple haired lady came in, saw me, and gave me a murderous look right on the spot. Wouldn't happen to know who they are would you?"

"That sounds like Ritsuko, and Misato."

"Hmm, cool. Well they'll have to get used to it anyhow. One more thing, why'd they have massive tumours?"

"What?" Shinji asked in disbelief.

"You know, tumours. Right about here." Sachiel gestured, using his noodley arms, to the general chest area. "Are they okay? You look different in comparison." Shinji blushed quite a bit.

"N-No! T-That's normal..."

"Ohhhhhhhh... So there's something wrong with you then?"

"No! Ritsuko and Misato are female! I'm male! We're all fine!"

"Oh, right... I don't get it."

So, Shinji then spent the next ten minutes giving the talk (using information he had gathered from various websites and books) to an alien like creature who had no idea what the differences in humans were. Needless to say, Shinji looked like a tomato by the end of it. Especially when Sachiel suggested having visual evidence. Shinji turned that one down very quickly.

* * *

Clean up work was already underway in Tokyo-3 after the destructive battle that took place a few days before. Recovery of the head of Evangelion Unit-01 was currently underway, a crane lifting the large headpiece away.

Far away, in a dark room. Several men sat together. These men made up the Human Instrumentality Committee, a group of people who oversee the progress in NERV, a job given to them by the United Nations. The head of the group, Chairman Keel, was currently speaking to Gendo Ikari.

"So, the Angels have returned? It is quite sudden."

"It's the same as it was fifteen years ago. A disaster will come as it will, without warning."

"We could say it is fortunate, in the sense that our prior investments were not a complete waste." Spoke the orange member.

"You can never be too sure about that. Especially not yet." The blue member spoke. "If it does not pay off, it is a waste, all the same."

"Correct." The yellow member spoke. "Now that the Angels have returned and the news have gotten onto this case, and the fact we have been manipulating information. NERV must take steps to ensure it operates in a speedy and prudent manner."

"You may be rest assured that it's already been taken care of." Gendo replied. "Don't worry."

* * *

"Government officials have announced that, in the case of the special case of emergency..."

"This incident was..."

"U.N. forces in Japan..." The TV kept flicking through channels as Misato continued to use the TV remote, to no effect.

"So, it's public scenario B-22. Just like we thought. So, we're just going to cover up the truth again?"

"At least the PR people are thrilled. They finally have something to do." Ritsuko replied while overseeing recovery efforts.

"Well, we're being pretty casual about it."

"I'm not sure about that. I think everyone's actually scared."

"Of course we are."

* * *

"Well, we must acknowledge that." The Committee was still in session.

"But still, I wonder, Mr. Ikari. Is there not a better way to ultilize NERV and the Evangelions?" The green member spoke up.

"Firstly, the repair costs to Unit-00, and now Unit-01, which, I must add, you managed to wreck in its first battle. It is simply staggering. It is enough too bankrupt an entire country." The yellow member said.

"The Committee also understands that you gave that giant toy to your son."

"Manpower, time and money. How much more do you plan on wasting on you and your family?"

"And, that is not your only responsibility. The Human Instrumentality Project. That should be your top priority."

"Correct. Under the desperate circumstances that project is our only hope, for the future of mankind. Do you understand?"

"In any event," Chairman Keel spoke up for the first time this meeting, "We cannot excuse any delays in the project's schedule, due to the appearance of the Angels. We will consider the issue regarding the budget."

"Now, the rest of this meeting concerns only the Committee."

"Your presence here was... appreciated, Ikari." The yellow, orange, blue and green members of the committee disappeared from the room, leaving Keel and Gendo.

"Ikari, there is no turning back." Keel then disappeared, leaving Gendo by himself.

"I know." He spoke to the empty room. "Mankind has no time left."

* * *

Shinji stood staring out the window at the hospital. He hadn't moved around much, and Sachiel had known to not talk much, considering the amount of pain the Angel had put the boy through. At the sound of a door, both Shinji and Sachiel looked up. A bed was rolled past, holding the girl who was in considerable pain back in Unit-01's cage. She looked serene, and calm, her pale skin reflecting against the light. The woman pushing the bed stopped abruptly at the sight of Sachiel, before hurriedly taking the girl away with her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

* * *

"Mankind's greatest invention has got to be air conditioning!" Misato stated while being driven to another location in a massive truck. "Man's triumph over nature with science!"

"Shinji's woken up." Ritsuko supplies after getting off the phone.

"And... how is he?" Misato asks.

"Well, his memory is a bit muddled, but he has no external injuries."

"You don't think he could have any mental contamination do you?" Misato asked worriedly.

"I don't think we should worry."

"Really?" Misato leans back in her seat, quickly going back to her usual joyful personality. "You're right, I suppose he did have a pretty hectic day."

"Poor kid. His cranial nerves took a substantial amount of strain."

"Cranial nerves? Don't you mean his heart?"

* * *

Sachiel sat trying to reassure Shinji that his arm was fine, and that it wasn't broken because of his actions. "C'mon Shinji! It's perfectly fine, see?" Sachiel started to move Shinji's arm as he continued to stare at it. "You're fine!"

* * *

Recovery efforts continued in the city itself. Various things were being moved around, weapons, batteries, plugs. There were signs signifying construction to buildings that had been damaged or destroyed in the battle days prior. Surveying the area, Misato spoke up to Ritsuko.

"If the Eva and the city can both operate at their fullest potential, we might make it through this."

"Are you going to defeat the Angels? You've always been such an optimist."

"Hey! Sometimes you just need a little wishful thinking just to keep on living..." Misato frowned, remembering her own experiences for a brief moment, before returning to normal.

"I see your point. It's nice to see a positive attitude once in a while." Misato gave Ritsuko the stink eye as Ritsuko waved.

"See ya!"

* * *

Shinji hadn't moved. Sachiel was still trying to get him to talk. Misato slowly walked towards the boy and his angelic companion. Stopping for a moment when seeing the Angel.

"I though we killed you?"

"You did, but I'm not fully gone." Sachiel replied as Misato continued to stare at the now human sized Angel.

"Why?"

"No idea."

"Why can't you just leave? You've already done enough damage."

"Can't, gotta stick with Shinji here."

"And Shinji's okay with this?"

"It's fine, Misato." Shinji said, getting up and turning to her. "He's been, helpful."

"He?"

"I do have a gender you know!"

"Nice." Misato said, before turning back to Shinji. "He won't kill us all?"

"I'm still here." Shinji replied, trying for a bit of humour. Misato smiled slightly in response, before turning back to Sachiel.

"Anything you can tell us?"

"Well, there's more of my siblings that are going to come. Also, I can help out in the battles... I think."

"That's... actually quite helpful."

"Yep. So you know this battle isn't over yet. Now can we go? This place is depressing!" Misato smiled as she led Shinji and Sachiel towards the lift out. Not really caring about the Angel, and not wanting to admit to herself that the thing was growing on her, she waited.

The lift opened, and inside stood Gendo Ikari. Shinji glanced up, then turned away in disgust. Gendo said nothing, before the door closed again.

* * *

"They don't want to live with each other. Are you sure?" Ritsuko asked the Sub-Commander.

"It seems, that's just what their life is like."

"And being together is considered, unnatural to them?" Ritsuko got no reply.

* * *

"You'll be living alone?"

"Not completely alone, Misato. I've got Sachiel with me."

"That thing is still creeping me out." The officer at the other end of the room said, as Sachiel gave the man a weird thumbs up. "His room will be in the 6th Block, just beyond this one. Is that satisfactory?"

"Yes."

"Shinji?" Shinji turned to look at Misato in curiosity. "Are you sure about that?"

"It's fine. I've been alone most of my life."

* * *

"What did you just say!?"

"You heard me! I'm going to be taking Shinji in, I'm going to take care of him! It's already been approved. And don't worry, it's not like I'm pulling the moves on him or something!"

"Of course you're not! Misato, how the hell could you even think of such a thing! You're always like this!" Ritsuko replied quite loudly, causing Misato to distance the phone from her ear. Sachiel was wondering what the hell was going on this entire time.

"Jeez, she can't even take a joke."

* * *

Sachiel was very interested in what a car was. He was also very interested in why the car just looked so banged up.

"Let's just say, we nearly got caught in an explosion..."

"You mean that one that made the massive crater?"

"Yeah, why?"

"That really hurt!"

"Oh yeah," Misato giggled, "You were in the middle of that." Sachiel grinned (somehow) and sat back. "So, we'd better have a massive party tonight for my two new roommates!"

"Why?" Shinji asked. Sachiel was just confused on what a party was.

"A welcoming party of course!"

* * *

Shinji and Misato were currently wondering around the local supermarket. They'd left Sachiel in the car to now draw attention to themselves. So while Sachiel was busy wondering what each bit and bob of a car did. Misato was busy going crazy with the amount of shopping she was doing, the woman made sure to grab as much junk food and beer as possible. Shinji simply looked on in disgust.

"She's gonna be a slob, isn't she?" He said to himself.

* * *

"I hope you don't mind that we make stop on the way home."

"A stop? Where?"

"Yeah, where?" Sachiel also replied, causing Misato to giggle.

"Oh, you'll both really love it." Parking at the top of a hill. Misato stepped out of the car. Waving to Shinji and Sachiel, they both also got out of the car. A lookout stood to the left, looking out over the city. It looked quite boring, aside from the rather obvious metallic places on the ground.

"It's so... desolate." Shinji said. Sachiel didn't know what he meant. "The city seems so... lonely."

_\- Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I - Track 11 - Tokyo-3 -  
\- Music from Evangelion 1.0 - Track 6 - Crepsucule, Tokyo-3 -_

"Here we go!" Misato said, glancing up from her watch. In the distance, an alarm started blaring suddenly. The metal on the ground started to open up, and from inside, buildings started to rise. The sight was truely breathtaking, seeing all the buildings slowly rise from the Geofront where they had previously been located.

"It's awesome! The buildings are growing!" Shinji said as both Sachiel and himself looked on in awe and wonder. Sachiel wasn't even saying anything, he just thought it looked cool. With the completion, the small lonely town looked more like a bustling city.

"This city is fortress, designed to stand against things like him." Misato said, indicating to Sachiel. "This is Tokyo-3. This is our city. And it's the city that you saved, that you helped to protect. Nothing can ever take that away from you."

-_ End -_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 done! Rather filler if I do say so myself, but also important. Sachiel is introduced as a Shoulder Angel and he's already getting up to mischief! Misato takes Shinji and Sachiel into her home, and restoration happens to the city. Next chapter! More silly antics with Shinji and Sachiel! Misato being somewhat motherly! And what the hell happened in the battle against Sachiel! Find out all this, in Chapter 4. Until then, Ciao!


	4. The Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinji moves into Misato's apartment, coming to a place that he can call home. Later that night, he recalls the events of the battle against Sachiel, revealing a unique ability of Evangelion Unit-01.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to Little Angel! This chapter is an adaptation of the second half of Episode 2, containing the rest of the battle against Sachiel!

**July 20th, 2015**

A large apartment complex sat in a small corner of Tokyo-3. A blue car sat parked outside, currently taped up to try and have it in some shape. Inside the building itself, Misato, Shinji and Sachiel headed down the small hallways towards Misato's apartment.

"Your things should have already been delivered, Shinji." Misato stated as she approached a door, "The truth is, I recently moved to this city as well." Misato stepped inside, Sachiel following behind, she turned when she didn't hear Shinji, who was still standing outside the door. "Come on in."

"I don't want to intrude." Shinji replied with a small smile on his face.

"Shinji, this is your home as much as it is mine." With Misato's encouragement, Shinji took the last step into the apartment.

"I'm home."

"Welcome home." Misato replied, as she shut the door behind Shinji. Entering the main living area, Misato spoke about the large mess the littered just about every single space in the apartment. "As you can see, the place is a little bit messy, but don't worry about that. Make yourself comfortable!"

"This is what you call a little bit messy?" Shinji glanced around, beer cans were on the floor, bags were filled with garbage but then left to sit on the ground. Misato poked her head out from behind a wall, to speak to Shinji.

"Sorry, could you put the food in the fridge?"

"Sure." Shinji headed over to the fridge, where, upon opening it. Found little else aside from beer. "So she is a slob?"

"Wow, that's a lot of stuff, and the look on your face tells me that it's not exactly good stuff."

"Yes, Sachiel. That is right. I just can't stop wondering what kind of life she leads around here?"

"What's that?" Shinji glanced over, Sachiel pointing at the other fridge that sat in the apartment. Thinking the worst, Shinji shouted to Misato.

"Hey, Misato! What's in the other fridge?"

"Don't mind that! He's probably still sleeping!"

"Sleeping?" Sachiel shrugged but decided not to say anything about it. Simply heading into the kitchen area, where Misato was readily preparing some food... using a microwave...

"Let's eat!" Misato shouted out, coming to the table with a can of beer in her hand. Shinji glanced at the food and immediately wanted to puke. It was instant.

\- _Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I - Track 8 - Misato -_

"Yeah... let's eat..." Sachiel simply stared at the food in front of him while Shinji looked sick. Trying to use his hands, Sachiel fumbled with the chopsticks in every way possible. During this entire spectacle of an alien creature trying to use some sort of cutlery, Misato was busy chugging down her entire can of beer.

"YEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Misato shouted out in glee. "Good stuff! Life doesn't get much better than this!" Misato stopped suddenly, and looked right at Shinji, who would touch his food. "Aren't you hungry or something? Come on, it's good, even if it is instant."

"Sorry, I'm just not used to it... Sachiel isn't either." Shinji replied, indicating to Sachiel, who was currently holding one chopstick in each hand, and was trying to pick up food with both hands. It wasn't working. Misato giggled as she showed Sachiel how to hold the chopsticks, giving the Angel a better idea of how they work.

"Are you being finicky?" Misato asked calmly, indicating to Shinji's untouched food.

"That's not what I meant."

"Isn't this nice?"

"What?"

"Having dinner with two other people. Well, one other person, and an Angel. That's gonna be weird."

"Sure..."

"Now, for Round 2!" Misato picked up another can of beer as she started to play games with her roommates. Sachiel got the hang of Rock, Paper, Scissors very quickly, while Shinji watched in amusement.

Misato then got the idea to sort out the chores for everyone, leaving Sachiel out because he wasn't human, and probably didn't understand human chores. The final chart ended up with Misato taking sporadic chores across the week, and Shinji doing everything else. Needless to say, Shinji was very happy with the cooking arrangement. "Well that was an easy way to split the chores wasn't it?"

"Sure..."

"Now, starting from today, this is your home. So feel free to take advantage of everything here. Expect for me that is!" Shinji blushed as Misato teased him, thinking about how this arrangement was going to go.

"Sure."

"Ah! All you keep saying is sure, sure, sure. You're a boy aren't you? Act like a man! Okay?"

"Yes, Misato."

"Oh, well. That's the just the way you are aren't you. Why don't you go take a bath and scrub away all those bad memories from the last few days, okay? Bathing is the laundry of life!"

\- _End -_

* * *

Shinji felt very uncomfortable. Living with a female guardian meant that some things were going to be harder to keep apart, and one of those things was laundry. Misato's undergarments were hanging just outside the bathroom. Shinji, deciding to get into the bathroom itself as quickly as possible, opened the door... to a fresh-water penguin.

\- _NGE: S2 Works - Disc 2, Track 16 - B-17 Rhythm Only -_

"Misato!" Shinji came bursting into the kitchen, unaware of his state of dress. Misato looked on, with a small smirk on her face.

"What?"

"There's a p... p... p..." The penguin waddled past, not caring about the situation at the current point in time. The penguin looked over, headed towards the other fridge, and opened the freezer.

"Him? Oh, he's one of those new hot spring penguins!" Opening the door, the penguin gave Shinji one more look, before entering the freezer, letting the door close behind.

"That was a..."

"His name's Pen-Pen. He's your other roommate!" Misato grabbed her can of beer and took a big sip of it. "Now, why don't you go cover up, huh?" Shinji glanced down, and quickly covered himself, waddling back to the bathroom, Misato sat in wonder. "Hmm, maybe I'm being a little too cheery? He's probably already made up his mind about me."

At the back of the room, Sachiel sat in wonder at what he had just saw. "So that's what that looks like! Male confirmed, female, yet to confirm."

\- _End -_

* * *

Shinji lay in the bath, the water coming up to his neck. As he sat, thoughts about the events of the past few days plagued his mind. 'Misato... Katsuragi... She seems nice. She can't be a bad person. But... bad memories always seem to find me when I'm here. That's how it always has been. Like my father, and that girl, Rei Ayanami...'

* * *

"So, how was Rei today?" Ritsuko stepped into the observation room that had been used for Unit-00's activation test. Unit-00's orange husk sat in the large room below, currently bandaged, and held still by a solid red substance. "You did see her in the hospital, right?"

"She'll be ready to pilot again in twenty days." Gendo replied. "By that time, Unit-00 will be ready for reactivation, releasing it from cryo-stasis."

"It must be difficult on the children."

"No one else can pilot the Evas. As long as they survive, that is what I'll have them do."

"With no regard to what they, as people, may want?"

* * *

Within hours, Shinji's room had already been marked by a sign, stating that it was Little Shin-chan's room. Shinji lay inside, listening to his SDAT player, a gift he had received years before, and a way to block out the world. The room had some boxes in it, with what few of Shinji's belongings there were. Sachiel lay close by, wanting to both speak to Shinji, but also not interrupt the boy. On the desk, an application for the local high school sat, having been half filled out. The track changed, and Shinji continued to lay in silence.

* * *

"After all the horrible stuff he went through, I can't say whether he'll pilot again."

"Maintaining him is part of your job." Ritsuko reminded Misato over the phone as the woman lay in the bath.

"I'm just scared. I don't know how to deal with him."

"Whining already? I seem to remember you were the one who had the bright idea of taking him in!" Ritsuko jabbed teasingly.

"Oh, shut up!" Misato cut the call and relaxed against the bath. 'I was just thinking of Shinji as a tool. I'm as bad as Ritsuko. We destroyed that Angel, but it came back afterwards anyway. I guess I can't feel happy about it.'

* * *

Staring at the ceiling, Shinji muttered to himself once again. "Another unfamiliar ceiling." Sachiel glanced up as Shinji continued to speak to himself. "Of course, in this whole city, there isn't a place that is familiar. Why am I here?" Memories of Misato taking him in, his arrival in Tokyo-3, and especially, the battle against Sachiel, the sounds of the clanging of laser against armour rang through his head. Memories of the entire battle, and what he saw after.

* * *

**July 16th, 2015**

\- _Music from Evangelion 1.0 - Track 5 - Les Bêtes -_

"Unit-01's head has been damaged! Extent of the damage is unknown!"

"We're having trouble maintaining activation!" Emergency lights blared throughout Central Dogma, Misato stared in horror as Unit-01 sat in silence, bleeding from its head.

"Status report!"

"The synchrograph is reversing! The pulses are flowing backward!" Maya declared as Ritsuko stared at the monitor from above.

"Break the circuit! Block it, now!"

"We can't!" Maya replied as the nerve connections started to break. "It's rejecting the signal! It won't take it!"

Standing behind a man wearing glasses known as Makoto Hyuga, Misato waited for readings. "What about Shinji!?"

"His monitors aren't responding! Life signs unknown!"

"Unit-01's gone completely silent!" Came the voice of the last of the bridge bunnies, Shigeru Aoba.

"Misato!"

"We have no choice. Abort the operation! Rescuing the pilot is our top priority! Force eject the Entry Plug!"

"We can't!" Maya stated, turning to the Captain. "Unit-01 is completely out of control!"

"Wait... What did you say!?"

Suddenly, Unit-01 reactivated, its one working eye glowing brightly in the darkness. "The Eva's reactivating!" Unit-01 pried its jaw open, revealing a set of red teeth inside.

"I don't believe it! There's no way it can move!"

"My god..."

"It's gone berserk?" Ritsuko supplied as Unit-01 roared up above. Leaning down on it's knees, Unit-01 prepared to leap right towards Sachiel.

_Oh shi-_

Unit-01 came crashing into Sachiel, it's umbilical cord flying around the purple Eva.

_Oh no you don't!_

Sachiel wrapped its long arms around Unit-01 in an attempt to get the Unit off. It seemed to work, as Unit-01 went flying backward. While Sachiel stayed in an arched position, Unit-01 landed dead on its feet, and quickly turned to face the enemy.

"It looks like we've won." Fuyutsuki said as the battle was watched from Central Dogma.

Crouching down, Unit-01 rushed Sachiel, with the intention of destroying the other worldly being. Sachiel, coming back to an upright position, pulled up its A.T. Field just before Unit-01 was able to make contact. Unit-01 smashed into the A.T. Field, coming to a dead stop.

"It's an A.T. Field!" Ritsuko said as worry went through Central Dogma.

"No! We were so close! As long as that Angel has that A.T. Field up..." Misato supplied as Ritsuko finished.

"Unit-01 can't get near the Angel!"

_Haha! Try and get me now!_

Unit-01 stood back for a moment, the muscles in the left arm twisting and turning to restore to a workable state.

_Ew! That looks disgusting!_

"Left arm, regenerated!"

"No way!"

With two working arms, Unit-01 took a hold of Sachiel's A.T. Field, with an ounce of strength, the Field began to split right down the middle.

_Stop! You can't do that! That's cheating!_

"Unit-01 has deployed its own A.T. Field! It's neutralising the phase space!"

"No," Ritsuko corrected her apprentice. "It's eroding it!"

With a final flourish of strength, Sachiel's A.T. Field completely broke apart, Unit-01 staring down the Angel.

_Oh shi-_

"It went through the A.T. Field like it was nothing..." Misato said as Unit-01 prepared its final assault.

_Blam!_

A powerful laser sent Unit-01 flying backwards, when the light cleared, Unit-01 stared Sachiel straight down.

_Try and get me now!_

Unit-01 sprinted down the street, running straight for Sachiel. Grabbing a hold of its arms, Unit-01 started to twist and turn them in the same way that Sachiel had minutes before. A sickening crack was heard, as both hands broke off the arms, red blood oosing through the ends.

_Ow! Those were my hands! You ripped off my hands!_

Unit-01 kicked Sachiel in its core, sending the Angel flying backwards at the force. Crashing into a building, Sachiel came to a stop. Unit-01 wasn't done though, running full charge towards the Angel, pushing both it and the building back metres. Sitting on top of the Angel, Unit-01 started to hammer at the core, punching it left and right. When that didn't work, Unit-01 forcefully ripped at Sachiel's body, taking apart the spikes covering the core, and separating it from the body.

_Fucking hell!_

Giving a triumphant roar, Unit-01 started to hammer Sachiel's core with the spike, dealing massive damage as cracks started to appear in the red orb. Continuing its assault, Unit-01 didn't let up.

_Fine! If I can't win! Then I'm taking you with me!_

Wrapping its remainging limbs around Unit-01, it started to grow in size.

"The Angel! It's going to self-destruct!"

_But! I! Won't! Go! Without! One! Final!_

The core started to glow a magnificent white as Unit-01 stared right at it. As the light got more blinding, Sachiel gave one final cry.

_BLAM!_

_\- End -_

The resulting explosion was massive, dealing massive damage to nearby buildings. At the sight of a giant cross in the sky, Sachiel... was defeated.

"Is... the Eva?" Misato asked as the feed in Central Dogma continued to display pure white light, no one having any idea whether Unit-01 was fine.

Their prayers would soon be answered, as the light cleared, the towering form of Unit-01 strutted out of the explosion, a possessed touch in its step. Central Dogma was silent, as the Evangelion continued to walk.

"That must be..."

"The Eva's true form." Misato finished for Ritsuko as Gendo watched from above, a satisfied smile on his face.

Unit-01 came to a stop. Inside, Shinji had no idea what had happened. The feed having cut off during the Eva's rampage.

"Reconnecting. Systems restored. Graphs are back to normal."

"Pilot life-signs are normal and confirmed."

"Recovery teams for Unit-01's pilot are being sent out now! Preserving the pilot's life is our first priority. Hurry!"

With a resounding crash, Unit-01's headpiece came crashing to the ground. Shinji stared out of the Entry Plug in shock and confusion. Staring to his left, Eva Unit-01's head could be clearly seen by Shinji, taking in the fact that the head looked a bit realistic made Shinji a bit unnerved. But the changing of the skin, and the resulting appearance of a real eye in the head made him extremely uncomfortable. The eye took a moment to find itself, then stared straight at Shinji.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

**July 21st, 2015**

Shinji lay in bed, memories of the battle overtaking him. He had no idea what the eye was, or what it meant, but it creeped him out. Rolling over, Shinji tried to fall asleep, but to no avail.

"Shinji. Can I come in?" The door suddenly opened, where Misato stood wearing a towel over herself, with another one for her hair. "I forgot to tell you something. You did a very great and noble thing today. You should be very proud of yourself. Good night, Shinji. Hang in there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episode 2 finished! Now, I have a relative timetable set for this story, so Episode 3 won't take place for another couple of weeks in-story. In the meantime, there will be a couple chapters worth of filler, regarding comedy, Shinji settling into Tokyo-3 high! And of course, more antics with Sachiel! Until the 5th, Ciao!


	5. A Transfer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinji transfers into Tokyo-3 High, where he meets the class representative, Hikari Horaki. The Second Child, Asuka Langley Soryu, prepares to take on her role as ace pilot. Shinji finally starts to feel included in life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite the Chapter title, Episode 3's adaption does not start here. Considering the title, I thought it would be better to use it here rather then later, as Shinji will already have transfered in.
> 
> Anyway, got some comedy and Sachiel and Shinji moments for you all. Also, Misato, being irresponsible! And the introduction of some more characters!

**July 27th, 2015**

Shinji was not looking forward to going to school. He thought that, considering the job he had, he wouldn't have to go to school. But, to him at least, life still hated him so much that he had to get through the boringness that was his first day at school in Tokyo-3. Wanting to just get the day over with, he had already made his lunch and was out the door before Misato could even chug down an entire beer. (Because he wasn't going to deal with a drunk Misato who would attempt to cook him something, as he knew that was a recipe for disaster.)

On the walk to school, Shinji thought about his first week in Tokyo-3. Arriving because of a request from his father, on arrival being quickly pulled into combat against an Angel, that was now, for reasons Sachiel hadn't told him yet, sitting in Misato's apartment wondering about the wonders of human life. Said battle against said Angel putting him into a coma for days afterward. On waking up, finding out Sachiel hadn't really died and was going to stick around for a while. Misato taking him in after she found out he was to live on his own, and now... school.

Shinji walked into the local high school as silently as possible, trying to take all attention away from himself. Unfortunately, that didn't work, rumours were already going around about him, and he'd only been at the school for mere minutes. It was not a coincidence that a new transfer student had arrived merely a week after a giant other-wordly being attacked the city.

Heading towards the main building, Shinji started to look for his classroom, a 2-A. It didn't take him long to find, as he silently entered, not many people were there, everyone was either still arriving, or were waiting around outside to meet up with friends. Two people were in the room however, Rei, her blue hair matching the sky outside quite closely, sat staring out the window. While she had healed quite a bit over the past week that Shinji had spent exploring Tokyo-3 or enjoying Misato's company at the apartment, no matter how immature she could be, her arm was still in a cast. Also notable, was that she was staring out the window, towards... whatever she was looking at.

The other person in the room, a girl with brown hair settled into pigtails, and freckles lining her face, was busy making her way towards Shinji, having noticed the boy enter the classroom. "Hi! Welcome to Tokyo-3 High! I'm Hikari Horaki, the class representative. You must be the new transfer student?"

"Uh... yeah." Shinji replied, "I'm Shinji Ikari."

"Good to meet you, Shinji. It's nice to get some new students around here, considering that recently lots of people have moved out because of the attacks from a couple weeks ago." Hikari supplied as she led Shinji into the room, Shinji himself started to feel a lot more comfortable in the girl's presence, making him think he might be able to make a friend for the first time in his life. "Anyway, there's an empty space here," Hikari said, indicating to a desk about mid-way through the classroom, "If you need any help with anything, just let me know, okay?"

"Thanks."

"No problem!" Hikari gave a small smile before the class started to fill up with more students ready to start to school day. Shinji's thoughts on just how nice Hikari was being to him made him momentarily forget about his experiences in school before his father called him to Tokyo-3, but at the classroom filling up, and everyone staring at him because he was the "new kid", made him remember those horrible experiences from the years before.

Shinji glanced up as Nebukawa no Sensei entered the room. On his entry, Hikari had stood up and started to show Shinji just how adept she was at being the Class Representative. "Rise, Bow, Sit!" Shinji followed Hikari's commands, as Sensei glanced at the class roster.

"It seems like we have a new student in the class. Shinji Ikari, welcome to Class 2-A. Now, everyone please get out their books as we begin today's lesson." Sensei stood at the front of the class, as Shinji glanced around him, not a single person was getting any of their belongings out, instead, rather using the red laptops of usual school issue and not paying any attention to Sensei at all. Shinji wondered why they weren't paying attention... until Sensei started talking. "So, 15 years ago, the world was plunged into chaos for the third time, upon a meteorite impacting Antarctica, the world would change forever..." Shinji knew why, as the Sensei started droning on about the Second Impact. Around him, students were either not paying attention, or where asleep. Shinji moaned quietly as Sensei continued to speak.

* * *

"Have you ever heard the teachers at that school, Ikari?"

"No, Fuyutsuki, and I have no reason to."

"Well, you might want to tell Shinji the true events behind Second Impact. The cover-up isn't going to mean much to him. He is a part of this organisation now."

"Captain Katsuragi can tell him. If you remember, she was a witness to the event in question."

"Ikari, you have to remember that Katsuragi was a mute for months after the event. Being the only survivor doesn't help. She's not going to want to explain what happened, she's pretty much put it at the back of her mind."

"I'm not going to talk to the boy, Fuyutsuki."

"You are his father. Yui wouldn't want it like this."

"I can't be a father to him. Yui was a lot better at being a parent than I ever will be. I don't want Shinji to grow up with parents like mine. Therefore, it's better that I don't talk to him." Fuyutsuki didn't answer, not finding any reason to argue. Gendo turned his head slightly, "Any other news, Fuyutsuki?"

"Not much, Ikari." Fuyutsuki replied. "After the attack on Tokyo-3, NERV-3 in Berlin are planning on sending Unit-02 and the Second Child over. Kaji noted that the Second Child was not very happy about the Third Child facing the Angels before she could."

"The Second Child shouldn't be arguing. If anything she's away from the action. I'm sure Kyoko does not want her daughter in the war."

"I know Kyoko means a lot to you. But they're already preparing the Evangelion for transport, using the entire United Nations Pacific Fleet. Unit-02 is expected to arrive in Tokyo-3 next month."

"Send Captain Katsuragi to the ship with the Third Child once it's close to land. There, the Third and Second can meet again."

"Do you think they'll remember, Ikari?"

"No. The Second's abusive father made sure of that. At most, they'll have small ideas of what the other looked like."

"Are you going to seperate them, Ikari?"

"No, the Second can live with the Third. Yui and Kyoko would've wanted it that way anyway." Fuyutsuki was silent, the thoughts of his two old students consuming him. "Yes. Neither of them will come to harm, Fuyutsuki."

* * *

**July 31st, 2015**

NERV-3 in Berlin was currently in chaos. Preparations for the transfer of both Unit-02 and the Second Child were well underway. The red hull of Evangelion Unit-02 was being prepared to be transferred to the United Nations Pacific Fleet. The ships, originally battleships used primarily during pre and post-Second Impact, were now hardly used for their main purpose, especially after what was effectively the Third World War came to an end.

Above Unit-02, a red haired girl stood watch over the large Eva. Standing in her equally red plugsuit, she was watching the Unit with a mixture of happiness at finally being able to fight soon, and anger that she wasn't called to deal with the Third Angel. This girl was the Second Child, named Asuka Langley Soryu.

A sound from behind Asuka had her turn around quickly. Breaking into a big smile at the man that entered the room, wearing a loose button up shirt and faded pants, this man was Ryoji Kaji, who was currently on a secret mission for Commander Ikari.

"Kaji!" Asuka's loud, happy voice came. The girl was obviously quite infatuated with the far older man, and despite the many times Kaji had told her this, it didn't faze her at all.

"Hey, Asuka."

"What are you doing here? Have to come to see me and my Unit-02 off?"

"Asuka, you're not leaving Germany for a couple weeks yet. Besides, Tokyo-3 is quite well maintained right now."

"How? The First is currently off the active list because of a problem with her prototype Unit. I'm the only other pilot they've got! Why haven't I been sent over yet! They need me!"

"No, they don't Asuka. An Angel has already attacked."

"I know, I've fought it in the simulations. How they defeated it without me, their ace pilot, I don't know."

"Well, an Eva defeated it."

"How?" Asuka asked with a frown on her face, "The First is indisposed, how did they... no..."

"Yeah, the Third's been found Asuka, and he beat the Angel."

"He!? A rookie! Beat an Angel! With no training!"

"That's right, Asuka. We aren't exactly sure what happened, but the Angel was defeated." Asuka growled as Unit-02 continued to be loaded below. "I'm sure you two will get along very well."

"I'll show him. I'll show him who the best pilot is." Asuka said, with a determined growl in her voice. She set off towards the simulations, to prepare for her meeting with the Third Child, and a showcase of how she was the best pilot.

* * *

"You've been lonely all week."

"I know, Sachiel."

"That Hikari girl, she seems nice."

"How do you know these people?"

"I come with you to school!" Sachiel replied, making Shinji facepalm in the apartment. It'd been a week since Shinji started school, and he found it incredibly boring. Nebukawa no Sensei droned on about Second Impact every day, the story behind it felt really off to Shinji, but he couldn't quite place why.

"I'm keeping to myself because of my past school life. I don't want the same thing to happen."

"I dunno, Shinji. Seems like they want to meet you instead of beating you up or something." Shinji winced as Sachiel said this, something which Sachiel caught. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Not particularly."

"Alright then." Sachiel stayed silent for a moment, while Shinji sat in silence. "Hey! We should go do something!"

"Like what?"

"I dunno, find someplace cool in the city! It'll be fun!"

"Sure, Sachiel. Just shrink down like you usually do, can't have too many people see you."

"Reasonable. Now, let's go!"

"Alright, alright." Shinji got up, and after locking up the apartment. Headed out into the city, with Sachiel sitting on his shoulder, having shrunk himself down so small that only Shinji knew he was there. Wandering into the city itself, Shinji had already checked out a lot of the city between testing at NERV over the past couple weeks, so, Shinji just amused Sachiel, who stared at awe at many of the places in Tokyo-3. Sachiel seemed particularly interested in a karaoke bar, which Shinji made quite clear he was going to stay away from.

"Shinji?" Shinji froze, turning, he saw Hikari coming towards him, intent on asking him some questions. Shinji put on a small smile as the girl came towards him. "What are you doing out here? Are you okay?"

"I'm just taking a walk. And I'm fine, why?"

"Oh, just that you seemed quite lonely, and had no friends this week."

"It's fine, I'm used to it."

"You should never be used to it!" Hikari's voice had changed to its Class Rep mode, as lots of his peers called it. "Everyone should have friends, not be lonely."

"I guess..."

"No, I guess. I'll help you, there are some people..." Hikari trailed off as her cheeks started to turn red at the thought, Shinji raised his eyebrows but said nothing. "That I'm sure will be your friend."

"Really?"

"Well, I don't know completely, but I will talk to them about it. Anyway, you now have your first friend, Shinji Ikari!"

"Thanks." Shinji smiled as Hikari smiled back in response, for the first time in years, Shinji felt included.

"No problem!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Chapter 5 is done! Not much in the terms of Sachiel antics, but he appears at the end. Anyway, Shinji transfers into school, he meets Hikari, and makes his first friend! Hikari will be more prominent in this story compared to the series and especially Rebuild, she'll be a part of the first drastic change to canon in this story. In other news, Asuka! While she won't appear much in these early chapters until Shinji "meets" her, I decided to write a bit here to introduce her, and show that she is definitely here. Finally, is Gendo really being a terrible father on purpose, or does he have some regrets? We'll find out as the story continues. Episode 3's adaptation begins soon, as the Fourth Angel draws closer. Until the 6th, Ciao!
> 
> Changes to original series:  
(Forgot this in last chapter.) Sachiel's blood is red, like in Rebuild. It was either that, or keep the blue blood, and change every other Angel's blood to another colour.  
Gendo's backstory is starting to be revealed, we don't know much, but it's mostly fanon.  
Kyoko is name-dropped for the first time. She's also very important, like Yui.  
Introduction of Asuka and Unit-02 earlier, she still won't appear more frequently till Episode 8 however.


	6. The Phone That Doesn't Ring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinji prepares for his battle against the next Angel. Returning to school, Shinji gets beat up by Toji Suzahara, and is caught by Hikari trying to fight back. The Angel alarm goes off as the Fourth Angel approaches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episode 3 begins! Shinji is slowly settling into Tokyo-3 as the company of Sachiel starts to become helpful. However, the battle is far from over yet.

**August 2nd, 2015**

Shinji was at NERV, going through some testing and training for the various weapons that an Evangelion can use. After a long week at school, relaxing was what Shinji wanted. Alas, that was not the case, especially for an Eva pilot. Now wearing his own Plug Suit, a white and blue form-fitting suit that supposedly helped him sync to the Eva, Shinji prepared for training. As the Entry Plug around him flashed a multitude of colours, the space around him formed into a makeshift Tokyo-3. Obviously fake, but good enough to do its job for the time being. The Entry Plug finished flashing, and Shinji was able to view the fake city.

"Good morning, Shinji! How are you today?" Came the voice of Ritsuko over the com line.

"I'm fine."

"That's great. How's it going in there?"

"No problems. I think I'm getting used to the Eva. It's not... bad or anything."

"That's good, Shinji. Have you memorised the positions of all the Eva's emergence points, emergency power junctions, armament points, and recovery zones in Tokyo-3?"

"I think so..."

"In that case, let's review it one more time. Normally, the Evangelion runs off electricity, powered by an Umbilical Cable. In emergencies, for example, if the Cable comes out, the Eva can run off of internal batteries. Unfortunately, this only has enough power for one minute of activation at full power, with no more than five minutes in minimal activation mode. The reason for this is because of limitations in our current technology. Do you understand this, Shinji?"

"Yes." Shinji replied, in a very bored tone.

"Excellent. Now, let's continue where we left off yesterday. We'll initiate induction mode." Suddenly, a timer started counting down from five minutes as the umbilical cable came out the back of Unit-01. In the simulation, Unit-01 stood with a pallet rifle, standing across from him, far away, was a simulation of Sachiel. The Angel wasn't moving, simply staring across at Shinji, the real Sachiel, currently sitting on Unit-01's controls, voiced his concern.

"That's really creepy. It's like looking at yourself."

"Well spotted, Sachiel. Now, Shinji, position the target in the centre, then squeeze the trigger switch 'on'." Shinji's first attempt to shoot down the fake Sachiel ended with no damage to the target, as the flurry of bullets flew above the head of the fake Sachiel. Sachiel winced as the bullets flew past, remembering how much bullets had hurt, even if they didn't do much. "Calm yourself, Shinji. Now, position the target in the centre, and pull the trigger." The time the shot was successful. The fake Sachiel got hit right in the core, falling over and collapsing to the ground, fake blood spraying through the air. The fake Angel exploded, giving a small light show to Shinji in Unit-01. "Good job, Shinji. Just keep going." Ritsuko said as the fake Sachiel appeared again, and Shinji repeated the process.

In a room overlooking Unit-01, Ritsuko and Maya ran the simulation, while they couldn't see it themselves, Shinji definitely could. Unit-01 moved in the room itself, while Ritsuko and Maya watched, shrouded in darkness.

"You know, I am surprised that Shinji agreed to pilot again." Maya stated as fire continued to ring through the area.

"It seems he simply does as he's told. I suppose it's just his way of getting through life." Misato stood at the back of the room, listening to Ritsuko speak, not saying anything, simply watching her charge.

"Position the target in the centre and pull the switch." Shinji repeated to himself as he kept gunning to fake Angel down. Sachiel watching in awe as Shinji continued to kill a fake version of himself over and over again. It was quite surreal actually.

"Great job, Shinji. Now, let's try with a Gatling Gun now."

* * *

**August 6th, 2015**

The Apartment was silent. Not a single soul was moving. Misato was currently lying under a den of blankets, in an obvious state of 'I don't want to move.' Shinji appeared at the door, opening it slightly, where Misato was still dead to the world. "Misato? It's morning already."

"I just got back from night duty." Misato replied, heavily sleepy. "I don't have to go back to work till this evening, so please let me sleep."

"Okay then. I'll go. See you this afternoon, Misato."

"Hey!" Shinji turned back to Misato as her arm waved out of the blanket. "Isn't today, Thursday?" Shinji made a noise of confirmation as Misato continued to only use one arm. "Can you take the trash to the garage, please."

"Yes, Misato." Shinji replied as he prepared to leave.

"So, how is school?"

"It's fine."

"Okay. Well, you go now. Have a good day!"

"I'll see you later, Misato." Shinji replied with a small smile on his face. Shutting the door so Misato could sleep, Shinji left with the trash.

* * *

Misato groaned as the phone started ringing, debating whether to leave it or not, Misato finally grabbed the phone and answered it. "Hello? Oh, it's you, Ritsuko."

\- _Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I - Track 5 - Hedgehog's Dilemma -_

"How's it going?" Ritsuko replied in a much cheerier manner than Misato did. "Are you getting along with your boyfriend?" Ritsuko teased as Misato took a second to figure out what she meant.

"Boyfriend? Oh, you mean Shinji. Well, he transferred into school a couple weeks ago and he hasn't really changed that much. Sachiel speaks to him a lot but aside from that, not much has really happened with him. I don't know if he's made any friends, he never gets any calls. It seems like he's scared to make friends."

"Calls him?"

"Well, I figured that, since he'd need one, I gave him a cell phone a while back. I don't think he's ever used it though, or received any calls."

"I'd guess that Shinji's the sort that doesn't make friends easily. Might be a previous experience or something."

"Mhmm."

"Do you know the fable, the Hedgehog's Dilemma?"

"Hedgehog? Those animals with the spiny hair?"

"Basically, even though a hedgehog might want to get close to another hedgehog, the closer they get, the more they injure each other with their spines. It's the same with some humans. Shinji is most likely afraid of pain, and has closed himself off to others."

"Well, he'll eventually learn that growing up means getting closer to others, and distancing them, finding that distance where you can avoid hurting each other too much."

\- _End -_

* * *

Leaving the trash outside the incinerator, Shinji set off on his way to school. Staying mostly silent, and to himself, as he wandered the streets. When he arrived, he made his way to the classroom as quickly as possible. Entering the room, he gave a slight wave to Hikari when she smiled at him, before finding his seat. For a quick moment, he glanced over at Rei staring out the window, before settling himself down.

"Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrngggggggggg. Dadadadadadadadada, bweeeeeeech. Rrrrrrengh, chchchchchchchch. Bobobobooosh." Hikari frowned at the boy playing with a model VTOL, not noticing that she was there. As she made to clear her throat, the boy noticed. "What's up, Class Rep?" The boy asked, he wore glasses and had quite shaggy blonde hair.

"Did you deliver the printout I gave you yesterday?"

"What? Well, you see..." Behind the boy, he was busy stuffing the obviously not delivered printout into his desk. "There wasn't anybody home at Toji's place."

"Kensuke Aida. You are good friends with Toji Suzahara, right? Aren't you even just a little bit worried that he's been out of school for just over two weeks?"

"You don't suppose he was injured, Class Rep?"

"What? In that robot incident? I hope not..." HIkari muttered the last bit to herself, no one was to ever know. "The television report said that nobody was injured!"

"Do you seriously believe that? You saw the explosion site on Mount Takanosu, didn't you?"

"Not all of us are military buffs, Mr. Aida." Ignoring her, Kensuke continued.

"Not only were Iruma and Komatsu dispatched, they also brought in troops from Misawa and Kyushu. I'll bet well over a dozen people were injured, and there had to be some casualties as well." The door suddenly opened, standing there, in a black tracksuit, was a tall boy with dark hair. "Toji!"

"Suzahara!" Hikari murmured as the boy entered the room, a massive frown on his head. Slamming his stuff on the table next to Kensuke, the boy glanced around the room.

"Where is everybody? Did the class population drop overnight or something?"

"They've all either evacuated, or transferred to other schools." Kensuke replied, as Toji sat on his desk. "After all, no one wants to stay in the city after that battle that happened a couple weeks ago."

"Yeah, you're probably the only one who's actually enjoyin' the chance to see a real war."

"That's true. Speaking of which. Where have you been, Toji? You were gone for so long. Did you get caught in the crossfire or something?" Kensuke stated, a large grin on his face as he whipped his camera back and forth.

"No, but Sakura did." Kensuke lowered his camera, a frown on his face. "She got trapped under some rubble. She survived, but she's been in hospital ever since. Both Dad and Gramps work at the lab, and there's no way they can leave their posts right now. So if I'm not there, she's alone." Toji muttered in sadness, before changing his tone completely. "The pilot of that robot was complete shit! Why the hell did they wreck the city!? What did that fucking idiot think he was doing!?"

"Speaking of the pilot, did you hear the news, we have a new transfer student."

"What transfer student?"

"Him, over there." Kensuke replied, indicating to Shinji, sitting on his own a couple rows ahead. "He transferred in while you were absent. He arrived right after the robot incident. Don't you think that's a bit suspicious?"

"Leave the boy alone, Mr. Aida!" HIkari stubbornly replied, making both Kensuke and Toji jump.

"Class Rep!" Toji said, a frown on his face.

"You'd better remember it, Mr. Suzahara! Now sit down, sensei's here!" 'Toji... why did you become this way?' As she thought this, Nebukawa no Sensei entered the room, prompting Hikari to assume her duties. "Rise! Bow! Sit!" A flurry of activity occurred as everyone rushed to their seats, sensei beginning the lesson.

"And so, humankind was about to face its greatest trial." And immediately, everyone started to fall asleep as soon as Sensei began his spiel. "In the last year of the 20th Century, the massive meteor from outer space slammed into the continent of Antarctica. The continent's ice cap melted almost instantaneously. The water level of the oceans rose, and the Earth was thrown of its axis, and new, abnormal weather patterns threatened the lives of all living things. Several thousand living things, and half the Earth's population was wiped out. This was the Second Impact. The survivors had to live in the hell of economic collapse, ethnic conflicts, and civil wars." Shinji tuned sensei out as a notification appeared on his laptop. Pressing enter, he read the message.

_Is it true you're the pilot of that robot? Y/N_

Shinji frowned as he looked around him, trying to figure out who was speaking. A couple of girls at the back of the room grinned and waved at him, giving him an answer.

_It's true, isn't it. Y/N_

Shinji sat in thought for a moment, he wasn't sure whether to answer or not, but not really knowing the consequences, settled on a decision.

_Yes_

Chaos emerged as basically every single student in the class stood up at once to talk to Shinji, feeling overwhelmed, Shinji attempted to hide himself as everyone tried to talk to him. Hikari stood up abruptly and headed towards the commotion to sort everything out.

"Come on, you guys. Leave him alone!" Shinji looked up at Hikari gratefully as she gave him a small smile, before resuming her duties. "Sit down! We still have class you know!" No one listened. Instead, Shinji got a barrage of questions regarding his pilot status, whether he knew how to be chosen, the Eva itself. Unfortunately, Shinji either, couldn't answer because he didn't know, or couldn't answer because it was classified information.

Only a few students didn't stand to harass Shinji. Rei continued to stare out the window, Hikari continued to try to get everyone to calm down, to no avail, Kensuke glanced over, craning his neck to try and get any piece of interesting information from Shinji. Sensei didn't notice that his class was not paying attention, instead continuing to go on about Second Impact. However, Shinji would be saved very quickly, when a bell sounded, signifying the end of class.

"Oh... That's all for today."

"Rise! Bow! Come on guys, at least show some manners at the end of class!"

Toji watched the huddle from the back of the room. A big scowl on his face.

* * *

Shinji fell backwards as he was punched in the face. Toji stood above, massaging his hand. Kensuke stood to the left, only really watching.

"Sorry, new kid. But I gotta beat you up! I wouldn't feel right until I popped one on your face." Shinji scowled, memories of his previous school life before Tokyo-3 popping into his mind.

"Sorry," Kensuke interjected, as Toji started to waltz away. "His younger sister in that incident a couple weeks ago, when you and your robot fought that battle. Well, that's his excuse anyway."

"I didn't have a choice!" Shinji started, standing up and staring Toji down. "They made me pilot the damn thing!" Toji turned and waltzed right back to Shinji, shoving Kensuke out of the way, he grabbed Shinji by his shirt, and lifted him up. Toji glared at Shinji, Shinji stared defiantly back. "Do it. I dare you." Toji growled and punched Shinji again, sending the boy back to the ground. Shinji stood up immediately, he ran towards Toji, his arm ready to send the other boy flying...

"Mr. Ikari! Mr. Suzahara!" Shinji and Toji turned to see the angry face of Hikari Horaki coming towards them, her hands on her hips. When she arrived, she pushed the two boys away from each other.

"But Class Rep!"

"Shut it, Suzahara! Attacking the new student is not a way to spend a break!"

"But..."

"He did nothing!"

"Yes, he did! He was piloting the robot that hurt my sister!" Hikari growled as she pulled on Toji's ear.

"Maybe I should put you on cleaning duty this afternoon, how's that sound, Suzahara!"

"Yes, Class Rep. Sure, Class Rep."

"Apologise, now!"

"Sorry, Ikari." Toji stated, before strutting away, not really meaning his apology. Kensuke smiled slightly, before leaving as well. Hikari frowned, before turning to Shinji.

"You shouldn't return the favour, Shinji. I really ought to put you on cleaning duty as well. But not with Toji, he'll just continue as if nothing happened here."

"Thanks, Hikari."

"You're welcome." She smiled slightly, before noticing his lip, it was slightly cut. "We'd better get you cleaned up." Shinji said nothing as Hikari led him through the school to the nurses office. Sitting him down, she started to clean the small wound quietly.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because it's what a friend would do. Don't mind Toji, he'll calm down, he just... needs time..."

"Sure, but I don't want to get beat up again."

"I'm sure you won't. There, all done." Shinji touched his face, before smiling over at Hikari.

"Thanks, Hikari."

"No problem!" As they were leaving, Rei appeared in the doorway, staring right at Shinji, she only said a few words.

"There's an emergency. Come. I'll report in first." Right afterwards, an alarm klaxon started blaring throughout the city. Turning to Hikari, Shinji apologised quickly, before they went their seperate ways, Hikari towards the shelters, Shinji and Rei towards NERV.

* * *

Far out at sea, a creature was flying across the water. A long red being floating across the water. Two long arthropod like arms extended from the sides. Underneath, lots of small white legs were constantly moving, never stopping. On its head, two red eyes stared straight into the air. A red core sat in the middle of the moving legs, the small amount of protection doing its job. The being didn't stop, and continued on its course.

Shamshel was approaching.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shamshel is on his way! You'll have to wait until next chapter though for the battle itself. Anyway, Toji and Kensuke make their entrance! Albeit, not in the friendly way. Hikari continues being Shinji's friend by tending to his wounds after the fight between him and Toji. And of course, School! Until the 7th, Ciao!
> 
> Changes to Original Series:  
Shinji stands up for himself when Toji punches him, planning on returning the favour. This is Shinji's Manga Personality coming out.  
Hikari interupts the fight and escorts Shinji to the nurses office, where Rei finds him.  
Shamshel's design is based on Rebuild 1.0.


	7. Showdown in Tokyo-3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinji fights the Fourth Angel, but gets into a scuffle when Toji and Kensuke Aida end up outside, with an angry Hikari. Forcing them into the Entry Plug, Shinji disobeys the orders of Misato and finishes the Angel. At school the next day, Shinji is not back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shamshel is here! It's time for a battle! I should quickly note that there won't be any filler for a while, because Episodes 3-6 are all being done in one go. There's a reason for this, and I'll reveal it after Episode 6 is finished, anyway, onward! Also this isn't Episode 6, I've renamed part of Episode 6.
> 
> Minor edit: Changed Spending Time in Preparation to Longest Day from 1.0.

**August 6th, 2015**

\- _Music from Evangelion 1.0 - Track 8 - The Longest Day -_

Central Dogma was once again in full preparation. The bridge bunnies, Maya, Hyuga and Shigeru were already in position, and shouting out various things. The main problem, the Fourth Angel, was currently in full view on the main screen.

"The target has been sighted by our cameras. It's already penetrated into our territorial waters." Hyuga noted as Fuyutsuki stood close by.

"All personal, assume battle stations, Level One." Fuyutsuki called out to the entirety of Central Dogma.

"Roger. Prepare for anti-aircraft interception." Misato shouted as work continued around her.

"Tokyo-3, assuming battle formation."

"Initiate accomodation of the central block."

Up above, alarm klaxons once again sounded as the main buildings of Tokyo-3 started to retract into the ground. The central block of Tokyo-3 was now a flat landscape, while the buildings that once inhabited it, stood in the roof of the Geofront.

"Accomodation of central block and the first through seventh districts has been completed." Maya confirmed as Hyuga spoke.

"Notification of the government and other related ministries completed. Target is still advancing."

"Present operational rate of anti-aircraft interception: 48%."

"What's the status of civilians and noncombatants?" Misato asked Shigeru.

"We've received reports that the evacuation has already been completed."

\- _End -_

* * *

"Attention Elementary and Junior High School students. Please form groups with your individual classes."

"Not again!" Kensuke cried out as Toji sat next to him, bored out of his mind.

"Just text messages again?"

"It's news censorship," Kensuke noted with a scowl as he showed Toji. "The government won't show the battle to any of us civilians. Even though it's an incredible and historic event." Toji simply frowned at Kensuke, getting tired of his buddy's love of military.

* * *

"Of course the Fourth Angel would show up while Commander Ikari is away." Misato noted as Shamshel was flying very quickly towards the city. "It's a lot sooner than we expected."

"Last time they gave fifteen years." Hyuga noted. "This time around its only been three weeks."

"They never care about our convenience, do they? They're the kind we women hate the most." Misato said as Shamshel stared down at them from the main screen.

* * *

_Stop it!_

Shamshel was bust flying against a barrage of missiles, and bullets coming from armament camps and tanks.

_Seriously. Stop. It hurts. A lot._

The missiles kept firing.

_Seriously, this is your fire power? It sucks. How'd you even manage to defeat my brother with that kind of power?_

The missiles kept firing.

* * *

"This is just a waste of the taxpayer's money." Fuyutsuki smiled slightly as Shigeru turned to Misato.

"Captain, the committee is demanding we send out an Evangelion."

"Those bloody bastards. I don't care whether they want one out or not, I'd be sending one out anyway."

* * *

Shinji sighed as Unit-01's Entry Plug filled up with LCL, Sachiel sat on the control panel, waiting. He had an idea, but he wasn't sure how it would work.

"Got anything for me, Sachiel?"

"I think that's my brother out there." Shinji raised an eyebrow.

"No shit."

"Yeah, I think it's Shamshel... I can't remember though."

"Helpful."

"You'll be fine! You defeated me, so it can't be that bad!"

"I can't remember how I defeated you."

"Oh." Shinji frowned as Sachiel remained silent.

'Why am I piloting this thing again? Father's not even here. Even though I got beat up?'

* * *

Toji wasn't happy. He was stuck with cleaning duty because that stupid pilot hurt his sister, and now he was stuck in a shelter, where another battle was taking place.

"Hey," Toji turned towards Kensuke, who was motioning to talk to him. "I need to talk to you, privately, you know?"

"What for?"

"C'mon, please? Just give me a second."

"Well, alright." Toji got up and made his way over to Hikari, who was busy leaning against the wall, staring at the ceiling. "Hey, Class Rep!" Hikari looked over at Toji, annoyed.

"What?"

"We've both gotta go to the bathroom."

"Seriously? You were supposed to use the bathroom before we came down here!" Hikari frowned. "Fine, but hurry it up."

"Thanks, Class Rep!"

'I have a name you idiot.' Hikari thought, 'You lovable idiot...' Hikari glanced over at Kensuke, who looked extremely giddy as he left. 'What are they doing?' Glancing around her, she slowly got up, and followed the boys out of the shelter.

* * *

"So, what's this all about?"

"I've gotta see it! Just once in my life!"

"You mean the battle up there?"

"Nobody knows if there'll be another enemy, and when it will come!"

"Kensuke, are you serious?"

"If we let this opportunity slip, we may lose it forever! Please, help me just unlock the gate!"

"You can get killed if you go out there."

"You don't know if that'll happen, even if we just stay here. We could be killed anyway. I'd rather see it first!"

"Idiot. What the hell do you think NERV is for?"

"And what is NERV's most important weapon? It's the robot the new kid pilots! He protected us the other day, but you him pretty hard... twice..."

"He deserved it. Besides, he was ready to come right back at me anyway."

"If he refuses to pilot that robot, we could all die! Doesn't that make it your obligation to watch him fight?"

"Alright, whatever. You sure are upfront about what you want, ain't you?" Kensuke laughed in reply as the boys finished their buisness.

* * *

"Shinji, are you ready to head out?"

"Yes, Misato."

"First, neutralise the enemy's A.T. Field, then fire a volley from the gatling gun. Do it just like we practised. Can you handle that?" Ritsuko asked.

"Yes."

"Launch, Evangelion Unit-01!"

\- _Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I - Track 14 - A Step Forward into Terror -  
\- Music from Evangelion 1.0 - Track 9 - Contre Les Agressions -_

* * *

Outside, the door to the shelter was quite obviously open. Running up the steps, Toji and Kensuke were on their way to the top of the hill. Kensuke pulled out his camera as Shamshel prepared for attack in the distance. Rising into a standing position, Shamshel's white legs continued to flitter around randomly.

"Wow! All my efforts really paid off! I've been waiting for this moment my entire life!" Toji was a lot less enthused than Kensuke, looking a lot more frightened than his friend.

In the distance, a covering on a building come down, revealing Eva Unit-01, ready to battle.

* * *

"The A.T. Field has been deployed."

"Do it just as we planned, Shinji!" Misato smiled as Shinji kept repeating, "Centre the target, pull the switch." To himself.

"Okay!" Shinji replied as he set his face, and turned around the corner. As soon as Shinji saw Shamshel. "Eat lead!" Shinji shouted as the gatling gun fired its entire volley. Shinji's face continued to be set, as Shamshel before shrouded in smoke.

_Wow. I don't know what to say to that._

"You idiot, Shinji! You've just clouded the enemy in smoke!" Misato shouted in frustration from Central Dogma. Shinji didn't pay her any mind, as he watched the smoke in satisfaction.

"Uh, Shinji." Sachiel said, thinking something was off.

_Take this!_

Two whip like tendrils came out of the smoke, sending Unit-01 down to the ground.

* * *

"I don't believe it! He's losing already!" Toji noted from beside Kensuke, who continued to film the battle with his camera.

"It's not a problem."

* * *

"Shinji, I'm sending up a pallet rifle! Take it!" Near Unit-01, an armament camp opened, revealing a Pallet Rifle. Shinji however, didn't take it. His hand shaking on the controls. Sachiel tried to calm to boy down, but it didn't work. "Shinji? Shinji!"

\- _End -_

* * *

"Oh, man." Toji commented.

"Being beaten up must've really messed him up."

"Oh, shut up!" Toji continued to watch the battle, not noticing the scowl on a young woman's face coming up behind him.

"Mr. Suzahara!"

"Ah!" Toji turned quickly to stare right into the scowling face of Hikari Horaki. "Class Rep!"

"Care to explain!?" She exclaimed as she continued to advance on the boy.

"Well you see..." Toji was at a loss for words. Kensuke frowned beside him.

"I should've known you weren't really going to the bathroom, rather, wanting to come out, risking your own lives, to watch the battle!" Hikari ripped right into Toji, who cowered in front of her.

* * *

\- _Music from Evangelion 1.0 - Track 10 - Showdown -_

Shinji looked up, where, right above. Shamshel had its whips ready to impale Unit-01. Unit-01 quickly got up, and dashed away from where Shamshel stood nearby.

_Damn. He got away. Better go after him._

Buildings around Shinji and Unit-01 started to collapse from the whip-like tendrils. Collapsing against a currently not destroyed building, Unit-01 came to rest. But it couldn't for long. The cable of the Umbilical Cord flew around him. He only had five minutes to beat this thing.

"Evangelion Unit-01 has switched to its internal power supply!" Makoto called out as Misato glanced around, worried.

"4 minutes, 53 seconds of usage remaining!" Maya confirmed as the destroyed cable rested on the ground nearby, of no use.

Shinji directed Unit-01 to stand, while Sachiel sat in thought, he had an idea, and he hoped it worked. Turning to Shinji, he spoke quickly. "I'm going in!"

"What?"

"I'm going inside, I have an idea. I just hope it works." Sachiel replied, before phasing into the Eva's core. Inside he glanced around for a bit, getting a sense of paternal instincts, Sachiel couldn't place it however, as he was interrupted by Unit-01 getting a massive surge of power.

In the Entry Plug, Shinji glanced at Unit-01's arms, having felt that same power surge, the arms now had lasers coming out the back. Shinji could now use Sachiel's laser attack on the Angel. With a small grin, Shinji prepared to rush the Angel, only for Shamshel to use one of its whips to grip onto Unit-01's leg, pulling the Evangelion towards it.

Shinji frowned, powering the new lasers in his arms to attack Shamshel's head, it hit, but didn't go all the way through. His next attempt was to attack Shamshel's mini white legs, in an attempt to reach the core, he got a small hit in, confirmed by Sachiel going _Blam!_ inside the core.

_What! How do you have that!?_

Shamshel didn't let Shinji continue, chucking away Unit-01 by flinging the Evangelion through the sky.

_No one uses my brother's powers against me! No one!_

* * *

"But Class Rep!"

"Don't Class Rep me, Suzahara! I'll have you in detention for weeks because of this whole mess! Now hurry up, we need to get out of here and back in the shelter, where we'll be safe!"

"It's coming this way!" Kensuke cried as Evangelion Unit-01 flew towards them. The three students screamed as Unit-01 crashed into the side of the mountain.

* * *

"Shinji! Are you okay? Please answer!" Misato cried as Shinji glanced out at Shamshel. "Damage Report!"

"No problems detected. He can make it." Makoto replied as Shinji stared at the Angel. His attention was quickly taken away however, as, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Toji, Hikari and Kensuke cowering between the large fingers of Unit-01. Shinji froze in terror, he could do nothing, not when they were right there.

* * *

In Central Dogma, Ritsuko and Misato were alerted by three profiles coming up, profiles of Toji, Hikari and Kensuke.

"Shinji's classmates!?"

"What the hell are they doing out there!?" Ritusko replied as Shamshel hovered above Unit-01.

* * *

_I'm just going to take you out now. I've had enough of this._

Shamshel whipped out at Unit-01 immediately, reacting quickly, Shinji grabbed onto the whips with Unit-01's hands. Preparing another volley of his arm lasers, Shinji prepared for victory... but nothing happened...

"Dammit! I can only stay in the core for a short period of time!" Sachiel cried as he came out of the core. Shinji gritted his teeth as the lasers disappeared from Unit-01's arms, as Sachiel returned to the Entry Plug. Holding on for dear life, Shinji bit his tongue through the pain coming through his arms.

* * *

"Why won't he fight?" Toji asked as Hikari stared up at the Angel with small tears in her eyes.

"It's because we're here!" Kensuke replied, "He can't fight back if we're right outside!"

* * *

"3 minutes, 28 seconds of activation time in Unit-01 remaining!" Ritsuko cried as Misato glared at the screen. Opening a com to Unit-01, Misato set to work.

"Shinji, let them in the Entry Plug!" Shinji stared back down at Toji, Hikari and Kensuke, as Misato continued. "Once they're inside, make a temporary retreat. We'll regroup and attack again later!"

"What makes you think that you can allow unauthorised civilians into an Entry Plug!? Especially with an Angel already inside with ShinjI!"

"I'm authorising it!"

"You're exceeding your authority, Captain Katsuragi!" Misato and Ritsuko stared at each other, neither backing down.

"Unit-01 activation time, 3 minutes!" Maya called from the side. Misato glared at Ritsuko, before turning back to the comms.

"Shinji, hold Unit-01 on its current commands and eject the Entry Plug! Do it, now!" Following Misato's commands, Shinji ejected the Entry Plug, leaving the Eva to continued to hold back Shamshel.

The back of Unit-01 opened, and the Entry Plug came out the back. The door opened, and a small ladder came out. "You three, get in! Hurry!" Misato called from the Entry Plug, startling the three students to get their act together and hurry inside. On entry, the Entry Plug resealed itself, and reinserted into the Evangelion.

"What the... is this water?"

"What the hell is that thing!?"

"My camera! Not my camera!"

The Entry Plug came back to life, showing Shamshel above. Glancing over at Shinji, currently in the cockpit, holding out against Shamshel.

"Abonormal conditions occuring from the nervous system!" Maya remarked.

"Of course! It's because you've allowed three foreign beings into the Entry Plug!" Ritsuko replied in anger as the synchrograph started to fail. "It's all the foreign noise! It's being introduced into the nerve impulse systems!"

With a final bout of strength, Shinji swung Shamshel away using its own whips, giving Unit-01 enough room to stand.

\- _End -_

"Good! Now, retreat!"

\- _Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I - Track 19 - Marking Time, Waiting for Death -  
\- Music from Evangelion 1.0 - Track 11 - Mecanisme de Defense -_

Unit-01 stared right at Sachiel, the armour on the both hands having been completely destroyed. What was left was a pale, human-like hand.

"Utilise Recovery Route 34. Retreat to the east side of the mountain!" Misato ordered as Shinji sat in the Entry Plug.

"Hey, Shinji." Sachiel asked as Hikari stared at it in shock.

"You can speak!?"

"Yes. I'm Sachiel! Pleased to meet you!"

"Are you...?"

"Yes, I am one of them." Sachiel replied, indicating to Shamshel. "However, I won't kill you. Promise."

"Okay." Hikari replied as well as she could. Things were getting weirder every day.

"Hey, new kid!" Toji said, "She said retreat!"

"I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away!" Shinji cried as Hikari glanced at him in concern.

"Shinji..."

Unit-01's shoulder pylon suddenly opened, deploying a knife weapon from inside.

"Progressive Knife engaged!" Makoto cried as Misato stared in shock. She was being disobeyed.

Unit-01 pulled the Progressive Knife from the socket and held it in its hand. Shinji continued to stare Shamshel down.

"Obey my orders, ShinjI! Retreat!" Misato's pleas came on deaf ears.

"Shinji, you'd better listen to her!" Sachiel cried as the timer hit one minute.

"YAAAAAHHHHHH!" Shinji cried as Unit-01 started barreling down the hill towards Shamshel. Sliding down and using the momentum as much as he could.

"Oh fuck everything!" Misato cried as Unit-01 advanced on Shamshel.

_You're still not done? Maybe I'll have to make you be done!_

Shamshel shot it's whips out at Unit-01, impaling the Evangelion's chest with both whips.

Shinji cried out from inside the Entry Plug in anger. Willing the Eva to continue moving, Unit-01 brought it's arms up towards Shamshel's core. Now a lot less protected by the white legs that had been mostly destroyed before. The Progressive Knife impacted the surface of the core, digging inside with a shout of aggression and pain.

"Unit-01, activation time, 30 seconds!"

The Knife continued to cut into Shamshel's core. Doing as much damage as the small weapon could towards the giant Angel. No one moved. Not a single soul. Misato watched from Central Dogma. Toji, Hikari and Kensuke watched from the Entry Plug. Sachiel tried to alert Shinji but nothing was happening. Shinji was doing this on his own, and he was going to destroy this Angel.

_Damn you!_

The core finally cracked with three seconds remaining. Silence came as both Shamshel died, and Unit-01 ceased activation.

\- _End -_

"Evangelion Unit-01 has ceased operations." Maya confirmed as Misato stood in complete annoyance.

"The target is completely silent." Makoto confirmed about the Angel itself.

Shinji sobbed inside the Entry Plug.

"You alright, kid?"

"Shinji, are you okay?" Hikari asked as both Toji and Kensuke looked on, not knowing what to do.

'Maybe I shouldn't have been so hard on him?' Toji thought to himself as he looked on, now knowing what Shinji had to go through.

Outside, the orange sky from the sunset contrasted against Unit-01 and Shamshel, both completely silent, and unmoving.

* * *

**August 7th, 2015**

It was raining as Rei stared out the window from her usual spot in the classroom. Not caring about the fact that three of her classmates now had a first hand experience of what she did, she continued to stare at the rain. It comforted her.

"He's not here."

"I didn't think he would be. Especially after we got chewed out."

"I'm not talking about us. I'm talking about him."

"Maybe you should go ask him, Toji." Hikari commented as she sat nearby.

"Class Rep?" Hikari sighed as she turned to the boy.

"I have a name you know. You can use it." Hikari replied, annoyed.

"Sorry, Hikari..."

"It's fine." Hikari replied, "That goes for you too, Kensuke." Kensuke gave a thumbs up as Toji continued.

"I just... I wonder what he's been doing? Since, you know."

"Are you worried about him?" Kensuke asked.

"Not exactly worried."

"Toji, for someone so tactless, you can be quite stubborn." Hikari supplied as Toji grunted in annoyance. "If you'd apologised to him them, you wouldn't have had to agonise over it. Here, this is his number." Hikari stated, giving Toji a small slip of paper.

"Where'd you get this?" Toji asked in mild annoyance.

"What? Jealous?" Hikari supplied innocently, "No, I just had to get it because I'm the Class Representative. It's my job. If you're so worried about Shinji, why don't you call him?"

* * *

After class, Toji spent his time working out the school phone. The rain providing a somber backdrop to the situation. Saying what he had wanted to. He put the phone down, and headed back towards class. Shinji, his feelings on the matter regarding the boys job, and a certain pigtailed girl, on his mind the entire time.

**つづく**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episode 3 is finished! The first appearance of an Angel helping out during a battle! So, the shoulder angels can get into the core of the Evangelions and subsequently, give the Eva a new power for a short time period. Sachiel's is giving the arm lasers that he has! Pretty cool! You'll find out what each Angel brings to the table as we continue along. Episode 4 will kick off next chapter, coming off right after this Chapter! Next time! Shinji meets Shamshel. Toji, Hikari and Kensuke are worried about Shinji when he doesn't turn up to school. NERV begins a search for Shinji. Until the 8th, Ciao!
> 
> Changes from Original Series:  
Shamshel's fight is basically the same, except for Shinji using Sachiel's laser arms to get some damage in before he's flung away.  
Shinji also uses a Gatling Gun against Shamshel instead of a Pallet Rifle. Comes from Rebuild 1.0.  
Hikari is added to the fight sequence! More of my giving her a bit more screentime thing. Also she meets Sachiel. Fun!


	8. Rain, After the Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinji runs away after the battle against Shamshel. Misato berates Shinji for disobeying her orders, which causes the boy to run away after a brief introduction to Shamshel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episode 4! Not much to say here besides the fact the Shamshel is a Shoulder Angel now, and he's a bit different to Sachiel.

**August 7th, 2015**

Rain. Heavy Rain. That's what spluttered throughout Tokyo-3. The dark sky signified that said rain was not going to stop anytime soon.

Inside her apartment, Misato Katsuragi was strewn under her sheets, not wanting to move after the Angel battle that took place the day before. The alarm going off woke her from her slumber, setting the clock to silent with her foot, she slowly got up, her hair an absolute mess from her sleep.

Moving towards the bathroom, she started to prepare for the day. Stepping into the shower, Misato let the hot water fall onto her. She sighed to herself as she rinsed her hair, letting the water dampen her head, allowing it to be washed. Grabbing the shampoo, she lathered it in her hair. 'He's going to skip school isn't he?' She thought to herself as she went about her buisness. Washing the shampoo out, and finishing up, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. Grabbing another towel to wrap around her hair, she stepped out of the bathroom and headed towards Shinji's room.

She knocked. "Shinji! It's time to get up! Unit-01 is far ahead of schedule and its pilot needs to be ready to do his job. You need to get your act together. Shinji?" Misato frowned, opening the door slightly, the room was basically empty, Shinji nowhere to be found. Sachiel was in the room, seemingly asleep, while the newest addition to their family, Shamshel, leaned against the far wall. On a desk in the corner, there was a note written for Misato, Sachiel and Shamshel, and Shinji's NERV ID card sitting on top. "He ran away. I'm not surprised."

* * *

Toji and Kensuke stood outside the apartment. Apprehension on both their faces. Stepping forward slowly, Toji slowly rung the doorbell.

"Shinji!" Misato ran to the door, opening it with a frown, which turned to surprise at the two boys standing at the door.

"Pardon me, ma'am." Kensuke started. "We're Shinji's classmates, Aida and Suzahara."

"Aida and Suzahara?" Misato asked.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm Suzahara."

"Aren't you the boys who ended up in Unit-01's Entry Plug?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Both boys stated at the same time.

"We're sorry for causing you so much trouble." Toji stated, bowing to further his point. "The reason we've come today is that Shinji's been away for a couple days, ever since the battle. We came to see if he was okay."

"Well, uh," Misato started, running things through her mind about what she could say, "He's currently at the NERV training facility."

"Oh, I see."

"These are the printout's that were starting to build up on Shinji's desk." Kensuke said, handing the older woman the papers.

"Oh. Thank you! Sorry for your trouble."

"Well, we'll be leaving now." Toji said, bowing again.

"Please say 'hi' to Shinji for us!" Kensuke said, bowing his head slightly.

"Okay, I will. Bye!" Misato finished, waving at the boys as the door closed. Waiting a moment, the boys stood back up straight and stared at the door.

"Well this is an unexpected development." Kensuke noted.

"She was a real babe, wasn't she?" The boys turned to leave, heading towards the nearest stairs.

"Shinji, you idiot!" The boys turned at the sound of Misato's voice, followed by a very audible kick to the door. Glancing at each other, they continued on their way, not thinking much of it.

* * *

**August 6th, 2015**

"The next station is Nagao Toge, Nagao Toge. The exit will switch to the right side." A bag sat in a rack above the seats. Below was Shinji, his SDAT in his ears, blocking out the world. The train moved along the tracks, making quite a racket against the rain. The SDAT changed track from 25 to 26, yet Shinji took no notice. Around him, people filtered out of the train as it continued along its course, until he was the only one left. The SDAT switched back to track 25. Rain continued to fall as the train filled up once again. Shinji's SDAT continued to switch between tracks 25 and 26 as the day continued.

"Thank you for using New Tokyo-3 Loop Seven. This train will be going out of service at this station. Please, make sure you take all of your belongings as you exit the train." Shinji glanced up, staring straight ahead.

"I've got to head back."

* * *

\- _Music from Evangelion 1.0 - Track 16 - Cruel Dilemme III -_

Shinji wandered the streets, his back resting on his back. Around him, the usual bustle of the late night was heard around him. He wasn't in the main part of the city. In fact, he really shouldn't be in this section of the city. If any of the various services around him were any indication. He paid them no mind, as one of the many men in the area tried to convince others to come to his establishment that "Had hot babes serving refreshments!"

* * *

The movie was boring, Shinji decided, as he sat in the back row.

"You really couldn't detect it, Doctor!?"

"Yes. An object only ten millimetres in diameter crashed into Antarctica at close to the speed of light!"

The theatre was basically empty, one man was sleeping on the ground between rows, others weren't really paying attention.

"The technology we had was unable to predict or prevent such a thing!"

There was a couple near the front rows. Shinji had no idea what they were doing, and he didn't really care. He wasn't really paying attention to the movie either. It was background noise in the end.

"It's like hell outside! What is the purpose of science!?"

"The atmospheric flux caused by the change in the Earth's axis has decreased by 3%"

"So it's getting a little better?"

"No, there's still a tidal wave approaching at 230 metres a second! Doctor! We must evacuate!"

"No! It's my duty to remain here!"

Shinji noticed the couple getting a bit more intimate. Who knows what they were gonna be doing. And in a movie theatre no less.

"Doctor, choosing death is easy, but you have an obligation to watch this living hell!"

\- _End -_

* * *

Shinji continued his wander throughout Tokyo-3 and its surrounding regions. Shinji turned abruptly, a loud, annoying sound was wringing its way through the area. Closing his ears off, Shinji ran as far as he could, away from this sound that hurt his head.

* * *

Misato stared at the ceiling. Shinji hadn't returned. "Idiot." She muttered to herself as she heard the rumblings of Sachiel and Shamshel having a brief fight. She sighed to herself. 'At least they don't do any damage anymore.'

* * *

The bus drove away as Shinji sat in silence. He'd made his way to the outskirts of the city, still with his intent of running away. Making his way through the various types of plants of flowers, he made his way to a large mountain overlooking the city. Staring out at the fog, Shinji found some peace. He glanced over at the city, taking in the magnificent defence for humanity's survival, as it was glowing from the various night lights. Shinji could have jumped, right then and there. Ended everything, all of his suffering. But he sat, sat in thought.

* * *

**August 7th, 2015**

"He's only fourteen years old. It seems so cruel. Giving him the burden of mankind's destiny."

"We have no choice though. Fourteen year old children are the only ones capable of piloting the Eva."

"I know."

"So, has he called? Nothing?" Ritsuko asked, busy running a test on Rei, who was currently under a scanner.

"Nothing. I don't think he'll be coming back."

"What are you going to do, Misato?"

"Nothing really. It's better for him if he doesn't come back."

"But why?"

"Because of what happened after the battle a couple days ago."

* * *

**August 6th, 2015**

"Why did you ignore my orders?"

"I'm sorry, Misato."

"I'm in charge of operations, right?"

"Yes."

"You do understand that you have a duty to obey my orders?"

"Yes."

"I'm warning, don't do it again."

"Yes."

"Hey! Do you understand what I'm saying!?"

"Yes."

"You are not going to get out of this by saying yes to everything I say, understand me?"

"I know that, Misato. We won the battle, didn't we? Isn't that enough?"

"It may seem easy going along with what everyone else wants, but if you get into an Eva with that attitude, it'll kill you!"

"You know, I just don't care anymore."

"It'd be nice if I could say you've got the right attitude, but if you're expecting any praise from me, you're wrong, Shinji Ikari."

"That's not the point, Misato. I'm the only one that can pilot it. I'll just have to do it." Misato frowned, picking up the boy by his shirt, Shinji wouldn't look at her, his drink that he had been enjoying left on the floor. Misato gave the boy an annoyed look, before letting him go.

"We're done here. Go home and get some rest." She said, before leaving the room. Sachiel gave the interchange no comment. Shamshel glanced around in wonder though, wondering what had just happened.

"What was that?" No one answered, in fact, Shinji glanced at the Angel, only just remembering he had arrived. "I'm Shamshel by the way." The Angel noted, given that no time was available to introduce them. Shinji had been pulled from Unit-01 and taken away by Misato straight after he came out of the Evangelion. Shinji smiled slightly, before leaving himself.

* * *

**August 7th, 2015**

"I see." Ritsuko commented, glancing up at Misato, who stared out the window at Rei currently doing her testing.

"If piloting an Eva means nothing to him, giving him nothing but pain, then I don't think he should pilot again. Otherwise, I'm sure he'll be killed."

"But we need pilots."

* * *

**August 6th, 2015**

Kensuke ran across the field, role-playing as too many characters at once. Pretending to be hit, he fell to the ground, before immediately standing up and pretending to be someone else. "Captain! Aida, go on ahead! But I can't just go and leave you behind! You fool!" Kensuke puched him arm out, pretending to hit the other man who didn't exist. Before switching back and pretending to take the hit. Kensuke stared up at the dark sky, taking in the small amount of light. Getting up he turned, glancing around him, finding a boy in the distance. "The new kid? Ikari!"

Shinji stopped, turning towards the sound of the voice, to where Kensuke was, waving at him.

**つづく**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorter chapter here, because Episode 4 isn't very dialogue heavy. We'll get into Shinji's thoughts and feelings next chapter. Brief note, because Sachiel and Shamshel didn't know Shinji was running away, they didn't go with him, and as such, can't find their way back to him. The Shoulder Angels are as much real people as others, so that explains why they aren't with Shinji.
> 
> Changes from Episode 4:  
The bit where Misato picks Shinji up by his shirt comes from Rebuild 1.0, the dialogue is based on NGE though, with a minor exception: Misato's last line comes from 1.0.


	9. Hedgehog's Dilemma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After meeting Kensuke, Shinji stays with him for the night. Soon after, he's taken back to NERV, where he's given the choice to stay or leave. Before Shinji can leave, he decides to stay, pleasing everyone around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! It's time to finish Shinji's current act of running away from his problems and return to his friends. Not much to say here besides that!

**August 7th, 2015**

Hikari stared out the window, she had called Shinji hours ago, wondering where the boy was, and no reply had come. Not for hours. She sighed as she continued the cooking she was doing. It calmed her somewhat. Ever since her mother died she had become the de-facto housewife in the Horaki household, doing the cooking, and a lot of the work. Her father, having a job at NERV, like many of her friends' parents, was not around as much as she thought he should.

This left Hikari to look after both her father, and her two sisters, Kodama, older than her by quite a few years, and currently in college, and Nozomi, her younger sister, and close with Sakura, Toji's younger sister. Finishing up her job, she didn't let the fact that Shinji hadn't called, or had been seen since the incident with Unit-01 the day before, she didn't want to talk about it, or think about it. The Fourth Angel had been scary enough, to learn that the Third Angel wasn't truely dead either had been a shock.

"Kodama, Nozomi! Dinner!"

"Coming, Hikari!" Nozomi called from the living room, skipping into the main dining area. Kodoma followed behind with a small smile on her face. Hikari placed everything on the table, intent on not letting the fact that Shinji was currently somewhere get to her.

* * *

**August 6th, 2015**

The light of the moon contrasted against the green coverings of the tent Kensuke had set up for his little adventure that night. Outside, a fire had been set up, Kensuke sat across from Shinji, cooking the food he had brought.

"Toji was sorry about what he did. His younger sister gave him a good scolding later on. She told him that the robot is saving our lives." Kensuke chuckles, "That must be embarrassing, being chewed out by a younger sibling, in grade school no less. Right?" Kensuke glanced up, where Shinji sat staring at the fire. Kensuke frowned, before trying to move on to better subject matter. "It's great out here at night, because those annoying cicadas don't chirp. It was pretty quiet when I was a kid though, but there are tons of them out now."

"Misato said, that the ecosystem was starting to return to its former state." Shinji said, causing Kensuke to look up at the boy.

"Miss Misato said so?" Kensuke replied, giving the other boy a small sly look. "I really envy you, you know? You live with such a beautiful woman like Misato and you get to pilot an Evangelion! I wish I could get behind the controls! Just once!" Kensuke started to fanboy as Shinji looked at him in concern.

"You really shouldn't. Wouldn't your mother be worried?" Kensuke looked at Shinji in surprise, before smiling slightly.

"Don't worry about that, Ikari. I don't have a mother."

"Oh..."

"I'm no different from you." The container holding the food was starting to foam, as the water started lapping over the sides. "You'll stay for something to eat, won't you?" Shinji smiled.

* * *

"Do you usually do this sort of thing?" Shinji asked Kensuke.

"Sure!"

"Is it, like some training for gorilla warfare or something?"

"How could I fight with toys like these? I just do this for fun." Shinji smiled warmly at the boy. "We'd better come in for the night."

"Yeah."

* * *

**August 7th, 2015**

The rain started too clear against the cloudy sky. The small green tent, pitched in the ground, stood against the dark and deep fog of Tokyo-3's outskirts. In the distance, a group of people, clad in black suits, wandered through the fog.

Kensuke woke suddenly, Shinji glanced over. Both had heard the rustling sounds of footsteps being taken through grass. Sitting up, Kensuke slowly got up, and headed out of the tent, ready to attack the intruder. He stopped upon staring into the eyes of the leader, giving him a no-nonsense stare. Shinji stepped out, wondering what was happening.

"You're Shinji Ikari, aren't you?" The man said, staring right at Shinji.

"Yeah."

"We're from NERV's Security Intelligence. Under Article 8 of the Security Act, we're taking you back to headquarters. All right?"

"Yes." Kensuke stared at the ground as Shinji walked past.

* * *

"And all you did was stand there?" Toji asked, giving Kensuke a hard stare. After their encounter with Misato earlier that morning, Kensuke had returned to school after Shinji ran into him the night before.

"That's easy for you to say! They were NERV Security Intelligence Professionals!"

"What about that!? Don't you have any balls at all!?"

"Sissy."

"Pervert." Came some of the responses from the other girls in the class, who could overhear what Toji was saying.

"Only an idiot would fight when he knows he can't win. Balls have nothing to do with it."

* * *

Shinji was cold. He'd gathered that much. He also couldn't see. It was extremely dark in here. As he sat, he thought back to Toji, Kensuke, Hikari, heck even Sachiel and Shamshel, who were surely missing him right now. (Well, maybe not Shamshel. He didn't really know the Angel that well.) The sounds of footsteps clanging against the metal threw him away from his thoughts, the door opening, letting some light into the room. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the slender figure of Misato Katsuragi.

"Long time, no see."

"Yeah."

"Do you feel better after wandering around all night?"

"I-I don't know."

"The Eva is on standby. Will you pilot it? Or won't you?"

"You're not going to scold me for running away?" Misato said nothing. "Of course you won't. I'm not related to you, am I?" Misato still said nothing. "If I say I won't pilot Unit-01, what will happen to it? What will you and NERV do to it?"

"I suppose Rei will pilot it. You won't pilot Unit-01?"

"It seems a bit unrealistic off you, to force everything on her. Don't worry, I'll pilot Unit-01."

"But do you want to pilot it?"

"Of course not. To begin with, it's not something I can just do naturally. But Ayanami, Miss Ritsuko, and you..."

"Don't give me that crap! This has nothing to do with any of us! If you don't like it, then get out of here! Just forget all about Eva, the Angels, NERV, and go back to where you came from! We don't need someone with an attitude like that to pilot an Eva!" Shinji didn't look as Misato stormed from the room, slamming the door behind her, leaving the room in darkness once more.

* * *

"So, the Third Child is leaving Tokyo-3 later today." Ritsuko stated as she, Gendo and Rei moved along the travelator.

"We'll reconfigure Unit-01's systems for Rei. Regardless of the results of Unit-00's re-activation experiments, we'll move on to experimenting with Unit-01." Ritsuko glanced back at Rei, who didn't give any reaction and continued to just stare. "According to the Marduk Report, the Fourth Child has not been found yet."

"Does that mean we can't get any pilot replacements?"

* * *

Shinji stared down at his now punctured NERV ID card, gathering up a bit of courage, he gently asked the man behind the machine. "Um, excuse me? Where is Misato? I'd like to say goodbye."

"You are no longer NERV personnel. Therefore, we cannot give you any information."

* * *

'Why am I doing this?' Shinji thought as the car approached the train station, where soon, he would be leaving this city for good. Away from his father. 'But do I really want this?'

Upon getting out of the car, Shinji stared at the station. 'Well this is it. Last time I'm going to be here.'

"Ikari!" Shinji turned, wondering where the voice came from. "You left this stuff behind!" A bag suddenly flew at him from a random direction. Shinji just barely managed to catch the thing, before seeing who was coming.

"Mr. Aida! Next time try not to scare Shinji okay!?" The voice of Hikari confirmed Shinji's suspicions. Shinji stared at Toji, Kensuke and Hikari, standing outside the train station.

"Could you excuse me for a moment?" Shinji asked the Security Intelligence Officer. The man nodded briefly. Shinji wandered over, standing in front of Toji, Kensuke and Hikari. "Well, thank you." Hikari smiled at the boy, who gave a small grin back.

"Hey Toji?" Kensuke asked his friend, "Come on, say something!" Giving the taller boy a small shove, Kensuke pushed Toji towards Shinji. Toji turned and glared briefly at Kensuke, before returning his attention to Shinji.

"Look, Ikari. I'm sorry about hitting you twice. You gotta hit me back. As payback."

"I can't do that!"

"You've got too. Otherwise I won't be satisfied. It's just how I am."

"He's a pretty embarrassing guy, isn't he?" Kensuke chimed in.

"Too embarrassing..." Hikari commented.

"But, if it'll an end to this dispute, why don't you just go ahead and do it?"

"Aida..." Hikari growled to herself.

Two of the men standing to the side were checking a watch, this kid was wasting time!

"But..." Shinji started.

"Hurry up, goddammit! You don't have much time until they come and take you!"

"Fine, but only once."

"Come on!" Shinji frowned, before dropping his bag, and rearing back for a punch that he had done many times before. "Hey wait!" Shinji stopped inches from Toji's face. "Don't hold back."

Shinji stepped back, and reared back for the punch again. This time his fist landed, and Toji stepped backwards quite a few paces at the impact.

"Suzahara..." Hikari frowned as Toji looked shocked. He wasn't expecting the punch to be that hard. Just what had happened to Shinji? Why could he inflict damage on him when he didn't look to be that kind of person? Toji frowned as these questions ran through his head. Never the less, he stood straight, and smiled at Shinji. Shinji smiled quietly back.

Shinji felt included, he felt wanted. For the first time in his life, he didn't feel so alone. Hikari stepped forward. "We're your friends Shinji. You are not alone." Shinji smiled warmly at all three of his... friends. However he stopped abruptly.

"Wait, how'd you know where I'd be?"

"Call it a hunch." Kensuke noted. "By this point, dozens of classmates have been seen off. Since those giant things started attacking."

"Of course, if you're leaving, we'll have to leave eventually too." Toji said, staring at the ground. "But we don't blame you if you do leave, we all saw what the Eva did to you." Shinji stared at Toji wide eyed, his arms started to shake. "If anyone tries to blame you, I'll give 'em a good whop on the head!"

"Please Shinji, can't you stay?" Hikari asked. Shinji couldn't look at her.

"Come on, Shinji! Try not to look so gloomy!" Toji said.

"Take care, Ikari." Shinji frowned. He couldn't look at Kensuke, and his sincere goodbye. He couldn't look at any of them. He searched through himself, trying to find why. And he did.

"Wait..."

"Time's up." The Security Intelligence Officer had returned, resting a hand on Shinji's shoulder. Frowning, Shinji picked up his bag and headed towards the station entrance. The Intelligence Officers watched him go. Toji, Hikari and Kensuke watched him go.

Shinji was still in thought as he slowly went up the stairs, the Officers following closely, and silently, behind. The three students ran to the bottom of the stairs, glancing up as Shinji rounded the corner. Turning slowly, the three started to leave, before a bustling was heard.

"I'm the one who deserves to be hit, to be punched!" Shinji cried out, gaining the trio's attention. Shinji was currently trying to push through the Officers, both trying to hold him back. "I'm a coward! I'm dishonest! I'm spineless and weak! A wimp!"

"Don't give us anymore trouble!" The Officer angrily stated, forcefully pulling Shinji into the train station. Toji, Hikari and Kensuke watched, unsure of what to do.

* * *

"Evangelion Unit-01 will be entering Stage 2 Cryo-Stasis for activation system rewrite."

"Well," Ritsuko noted as she followed behind Misato in Unit-01's cage. "He's gone." Both women stopped in front of Unit-01's large visage. "Do you really think it was for the best?"

"The Hedgehog's Dilemma." Misato replied. "The closer we become with others, the more deeply we hurt each other. I understand now. Shinji can't let others know how he feels in any other way."

* * *

"The Express Linear Train bound for Atsugi is arriving on Track 2." The loudspeaker stated up above. Shinji stared, as the train started to round the corner into view. "For your safety, please step back into the area behind the yellow lines. Please be aware, that the boarding of this train by civilians is strictly prohibited. This is special government train."

"Hang in there, Shinji." Shinji looked straight into the open train door as he heard Misato's voice inside his head.

* * *

The blue car speeded down the highway. Most likely breaking every single road rule known to man but the driver didn't care. She had a mission.

* * *

Toji, Hikari and Kensuke glanced up at the train. Waiting for the moment when their friend would be gone from their lives forever. The sounds of the train prepping for departure were heard over the natural sounds of the city outskirts. Their thoughts were interrupted however, by the sounds of a blue car drifting into place besides them.

The door was shoved open, and Misato stepped out and looked straight at the train straight away. There was nothing else on her mind right now. The train passed, going into the deep tunnels on its path.

"Wait a second, look!" Kensuke said to Toji.

"Hey, it's that babe!" Toji replied, not noticing Hikari giving him the stink eye.

"Boys are idiots..." She muttered quietly to herself.

Misato paid the boys no mind, she was firmly focused on her own task. But as the train went away, her feelings plummeted. She turned away from the station and sighed heavily to herself. Gritting her teeth to stop the tears she'd know were coming, she turned back to the station to get back in the car.

She stopped suddenly. Something caught her eye. Giving a full view of the station, one person stood in a marked off area. Staring straight at him, Misato let the tears fall. Now a lot happier than on her way here. The figure looked up and at her. Nobody said anything for minutes, simply staring. The car's radio played in the background, but that didn't matter to anybody. As, standing in the marked off area, was Shinji Ikari.

"I... I'm home." Misato smiled warmly at Shinji, letting the tears fall.

"Welcome home."

**つづく**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episode 4 is finished! Now I know Sachiel and Shamshel have been absent for a couple chapters but they'll be back next chapter. As for this Chapter! Shinji's decided to stay in Tokyo-3, knowing that he has friends here was a part of the decision. Misato's starting to feel like a mother here as well, which will come into play for her character arc later down the line. (Hint: It involves a certain, scruffy-haired man.)
> 
> Discarding the Changes segment, as this chapter is pretty much beat for beat, instead I'm going to write a timeline for Chapters 8 and 9, considering how these chapters jump around a bit.  
August 6th: Shamshel attacks Tokyo-3, Shinji defeats it, while having Toji, Hikari and Kensuke in the Entry Plug. By disobeying her orders, Misato chews Shinji out as soon as he gets out of Unit-01. Shinji barely gets to meet Shamshel as he decides to run away after Misato's harsh treatment. Spending time both in the city and on the outskirts. Shinji does many things, contemplating suicide briefly along the way. In the final hours of the day, Shinji meets Kensuke on the outskirts.  
August 7th: Shinji is found by Section 2 wee hours in the morning, where he is taken into NERV custody later in the day. Misato wakes up fully expecting Shinji to be in his room. He's not, and decides to speak to Ritsuko about it as she is testing Rei. Misato goes to meet Shinji once he is in NERV custody, and angrily leaves again. Shinji gets revoked of his pilot status and is sent to live with his Aunt and Uncle again in Atsugi. After talking with Toji, Hikari and Kensuke, Shinji decides to stay in Tokyo-3, having found a reason to pilot the Eva.


	10. Unit-00

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unit-00's activation is revealed, and the circumstances surrounding the aftermath. Shinji and Misato find out about the Angel's genetic makeup. Shinji is asked to give Rei Ayanami, the First Child, her updated ID card.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're heading towards the finale of the Opening Arc! Woot Woot! Got some great action and scenes coming up in the next few chapters! Enjoy!
> 
> I do want to take a quick moment to talk about some things however. Scenes and Characters from various other versions of Evangelion are going to be in this story. Those being, the Manga (Mainly for backstories and some scenes exclusive to it), Rebuild (Mainly 2.0, as well as introducing Mari as an extra character), and a few videogame storylines (1st and 2nd Impression, and Girlfriend of Steel). This allows me to both utilise more characters, and make larger changes to the main story as we go along.

**August 7th, 2015**

"So that's what it's like when you smile..." Shinji glanced over at Misato as they wandered the hallways of NERV HQ. Shinji would be going with Misato to take a look at something once he had been given his pilot status back. Misato wandered ahead of him, muttering as she walked.

"What was that?" Shinji asked, wondering what Misato was talking about.

"Just thinking. Although, I think that was the first time I've actually seen you smile." Misato smiled at him, taking an opportunity, while the boy had his guard down, to tease him. "You're pretty cute, Shinji. Cuter than you'd think anyway." Shinji blushed as Misato started to poke him with her elbow, a teasing grin on her face.

"Misato..."

Steps could be heard coming down the hallway. Shinji and Misato glanced up at the noise, seeing Rei Ayanami come into view. She stopped when she saw the Third Child.

"So... you didn't quit."

"Yeah... I came back." Shinji smiled slightly in reply. Rei expression didn't change. She pushed past Shinji, not rough, but noticeable.

"I could have piloted Unit-01 perfectly well." Rei said no more as she continued around the corner, disappearing from view. Shinji and Misato stared after her, in Shinji's case, dumbfounded.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"Nah." Misato replied, "She's like that with everybody. Unlike you, nobody has ever seen Rei smile."

Shinji continued to stare at where Rei once was. Thoughts clouding his mind. 'What happened to her?'

* * *

**June 31st, 2015**

"Begin Activation."

-_ Neon Genesis Evangelion S2 Works - Disc 3, Track 8 - E-5 (Rhythm Only) -_

"Connecting main power to all circuits."

"Main power supply connected. Commencing Activation system." Gendo stared straight ahead at the visage of the orange Evangelion Unit-00, currently being held in restraints against the far wall. Unit-00 was having an activation test with the First Child, Rei Ayanami, currently inside Unit-00's Entry Plug. "Activation Voltage is approaching critical level. 0.5, 0.2. Rising." Inside the small control area, Ritsuko Akagi and Kozo Fuyutsuki stood, also watching the activation test.

"Beginning the second phase of the activation."

"The First Child has begun link-up."

"Start-up system, Phase 2."

"Synapses inserted. Junctions connecting."

"Cardiograph transmitting pulse."

"All circuits operational."

"No problems with initial contact."

"Power supplied to brachial muscles in both arms."

"All nerve links check out normal."

"Checklist satisfactory up to 2550. Cleared to 2580."

"Preparing for third stage activation."

\- _End -_

"Counting down to absolute borderline. 0.9... 0.8... 0.7... 0.5... 0.4... 0.3..." Suddenly a large crash sounded, and warning alarms blared across the entire facility. "The pulses are flowing backward!"

_\- Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I - Track 17 - EVA-00 -_

Across the control area, Unit-00 started to fight against its restraints, pulling and tugging against the wall, said wall was starting to crack under the pressure from the giant robot.

"Something's going wrong in the third stage!"

"Rejection occurring in the nerve centre elements!"

"Cease contact! Break all circuits through number six!" Ritsuko instructed Maya.

"Negative! The signal's not being received!"

The Orange Evangelion Unit pulled hard against its restraints. Struggling for a moment, the Evangelion managed to shift hard forward, pulling the arm and shoulder restraints from the wall, pulling out chunks in the process. Stalking forward, Unit-00 headed towards the control area, where the various NERV employees stood.

"Unit-00 is out of control!"

"Abort the experiment. Shut off the power supply." Gendo replied, not looking at Maya at all. His focus completely on Unit-00.

"Yes, sir!" Maya replied, smashing the glass pane covering the lever with her bare fist. Yanking on the lever, the Umbilical Cord came straight out the back of Unit-00, dropping to the floor with a massive clunk.

"Unit-00 has switched to backup power!" Ritsuko called out, watching as Unit-00 continued to stalk towards them, wringing back and forth, whipping its head around in multiple directions.

"Thirty-five seconds until complete shutdown of Unit-00."

In a fit of rage, Unit-00 lifted up its arm and launched a punch at Gendo Ikari, who continued to stand still, watching intently. The glass cracked, ready to collapse at any moment. Unit-00 quickly followed this up with five more punches, denting the wall and cracking the glass. On the fifth punch, the glass gave way and collapsed, falling to pieces across the floor of the Control Area. Gendo finally stepped back, shock etched on his impassive face.

"Commander, it's dangerous! You need to get back!" Ritsuko called out as Unit-00 slumped for a brief moment, the back opened, and a plug shot out the back.

"Auto ejection sequence activated!"

"Dammit!" Gendo replied as the Entry Plug trailed along the ceiling, the thrusters giving it the last push it needed. Unit-00's Entry Plug resided in the top corner, pushing against the two walls.

"Complete shutdown of Unit-00 in ten seconds!"

"Use the Bakelite suppression system! Hurry!" Ritsuko called out, before hearing a loud clang. The Entry Plug's thrusters had stopped working, and the Plug was falling rapidly to the ground.

"Rei!"

As Unit-00's Entry Plug landed, red liquid started to be sprayed from the walls, focused on Unit-00 alone. With a final push, the completely out of control Unit-00 began to smash its head into the walls, trying to do as much damage as possible. This didn't last long, as Unit-00 deactivated and slumped forward, completely silent.

\- _End -_

"Get me down there right now!" Gendo called out to the various operators in the room, who quickly got to work in bringing NERV's Commander down to the ground level. Everyone was shocked. The Commander had never shown so much affection towards someone before.

As soon as Gendo landed, he ran straight towards Unit-00's Entry Plug. Gendo grabbed the emergency release handles immediately. Jumping back quickly, Gendo lost his glasses to the ground as his hands burned from the immense heat coming from the Entry Plug. Trying again, the staff watched as Gendo willingly burned his hands to open the Entry Plug. Swinging the door open, the red LCL poured out as Gendo stuck his head inside.

"Rei, are you alright?" Rei slowly lifted her head, blood was flowing from a fresh wound behind her blue hair. The colour contrasting drastically against the White of her Plug Suit. Rei slowly nodded in confirmation, although she certainly didn't look okay. "I see." Gendo replied as no one moved.

On the ground, Gendo's former glasses melted slightly due to the excessive heat, the glass cracking under the pressure.

* * *

**August 7th, 2015**

NERV was hard at work. After the incident with Unit-00 weeks prior, it had been contained in Bakelite, a fast-acting red phenol resin, designed to quickly harden from its liquid form in the event of an Evangelion going berserk and losing control, allowing NERV to keep the operation under control.

Up above, Gendo Ikari stood watching as the hard resin was attacked by a variety of machines, with the intent of breaking it apart and freeing the Orange Evangelion.

* * *

"Rei Ayanami. Age: Fourteen. The first test subject chosen by the Marduk Institute. Officially called, the First Child. Designated pilot for the Prototype Evangelion Unit-00. Her past is a complete mystery, eradicated. All personal records, erased." Ritsuko recited as she had a drink at the local bar with Misato.

"So, do we have any idea what caused the accident during the test?" Misato replied, taking a large gulp off her drink.

"We still don't know. However, we've come to a consensus that Mental Instability on the part of the pilot was a primary cause."

"Mental Instability? In Rei?" Misato thought to herself as Ritsuko took a cigarette in hand and started to smoke. 'Rei? Mental Instability? That girl barely has any emotion. How can it be that?'

"Yes. In the aftermath, her mind became much more disturbed than we had anticipated."

"So, what did happen?"

"I don't know. But, she could have..."

"Did something occur to you?" Misato glanced across at her friend, wondering on her face.

"No, it can't be it."

* * *

The site of Unit-01's battle with Shamshel was currently bustling with activity. White outlines marked the places where Unit-01, as well as Shamshel, had landed. Around the site, a large amount of tents and buildings had been erected around a larger tent hiding something.

"So, this is what our enemy looks like." Shinji commented as he stared up at the tarp, covering the large body of Shamshel. Said Angel was currently hovering beside Shinji, completely bewildered by the situation.

"This isn't creepy at all."

"It's awesome, Shamshel!"

"Not everyone is amazed at the same things you are Sachiel." Shamshel replied as Sachiel continued to buzz around the area in glee. He didn't get to see his own body so seeing his brothers was a good backup.

Misato laughed as she walked into view, staring up at the bulky form of the Angel. She had forgone the red jacket and skirt today, instead deciding simply on a black shirt and set off jeans. Up above, Ritsuko Akagi, wearing her signature white lab coat, continued her investigations of the Angel itself.

"Amazing. Everything except the core itself is basically intact. This is a perfect sample." Ritsuko was glancing at her clipboard, where she had noted as much as possible about the Angel. "Thanks, Shinji! This will be a great help!"

"Yeah, yeah," Misato replied, sounding very bored. "Have you found anything interesting yet?" Ritsuko sighed as she came down to their level, indicating with her hand, she led the small group towards a small room. Seating herself at the computer, she ran some code, ending with the numbers 601 appearing on screen in bright green.

"What the hell is this?" Misato asked, confused by the situation.

"This is the error code for: cannot be analysed." Ritsuko replied.

"You mean, you have no idea what it is?"

"Yeah. What we do know is that the Angel is composed of some type of matter."

"Big surprise there." Sachiel sarcastically commented, getting a look from Ritsuko in the process.

"Shut up, Sachiel." Shamshel said, causing Sachiel to stick his tongue (or at least, what they thought was his tongue) out at him.

"This matter is conducted by a type of waveform property, like light." Ritsuko finished after being interrupted.

"But you've found its power source. Right?" Misato asked as everyone took a drink of the coffee they held. Sachiel dropped his to the ground, prompting a brief laugh from Shinji. Shamshel just grunted, a bit annoyed, having a perfect grip on his own cup, with all his legs.

Moving away from the Angel slightly, Ritsuko replied. "Well, something like that. We haven't been able to figure out any of its operating principles."

"So we've finally found something that we don't understand yet." Misato replied.

"It's a whole new world of mysteries." Ritsuko replied getting up from her seat. "For example, take a look at this. This is the Angel's inherent waveform pattern." Ritsuko indicated to the screen, which was currently showing the very colourful patterns of the Fourth Angel.

"It can't be..."

"Yes. While they may be composed of a different form of matter, the actual composition, in terms of actual arrangement and spacing of the patterns, is a 99.89% match with human genes." While Misato slowly commented on the very high number, Gendo and Fuyutsuki walked past the door. Shinji glanced up, having caught something concerning his father. Shinji didn't pay attention as Ritsuko continued to explain. "It really shows just how limited our level of understanding is." Turning his head out of the door, he saw Gendo and Fuyutsuki inspecting the damaged core.

"This is the core?"

"What about the rest of it?"

"The core's pretty deteriorated. Don't expect to be able to use it as a reference, Commander."

"That's not a problem." Gendo replied as he handed something to Fuyutsuki, revealing the burn on his hand. "Dispose of the rest of it."

"What's wrong, Shinji?" Misato asked, concern written across her face.

"Oh... nothing." Shinji replied as he turned back to Misato and Ritsuko. Shamshel floated up to Shinji and lightly hit his face.

"Don't lie, kid. It won't help you in the future."

"When you speak like that it's like you want everyone in the room to pay attention to you." Sachiel gave his input, floating up and sitting on Misato's shoulder. Shinji sighed, before glancing outside again.

"It, just seems like my father has burned his hands..." Shinji replied sheepishly, hiding his head from view.

"Burned them?" Misato replied. Shamshel flew into the hallway for a brief moment, inspecting the Commander's hands. Sure enough, they were currently a bright red. The commander hadn't bothered to bandage his hands. Instead simply letting the burn sit.

"I can confirm. The Commander's hands are dangerously red." Shamshel stated as he flew back into the room. Shinji nodded, moving forward.

"I just wanted to know what had happened?" Shinji said quietly.

"I'm not sure." Misato replied. "Do you know, Ritsuko?" The Captain turned to her friend, asking all over her face.

"Yes. It happened before either of you joined NERV. Unit-00 went berserk during its activation test. You've heard about that, right Shinji?"

"Yeah..."

"The experiment went wrong. The pilot was trapped inside."

"Rei Ayanami, right?" Shinji asked, earning a nod from the scientist.

"Yes, and Commander Ikari rescued her. He opened the super-heated hatch with his bare hands."

"I don't believe it... My father did that?"

"Yes, he did. And that was how he burned his hands." Ritsuko finished. Taking this as their cue to leave, Shinji, Misato and the two Angels headed out. Back in the hallway, Shinji and Gendo locked gases once again. Shinji turned away in annoyance, wandering down the hall in response. Gendo smirked as he went.

* * *

**August 8th, 2015**

Physical Education was in full swing. While the females of the class were currently participating in a swimming activity, the males were on the track below, playing a bit off Basketball. Needless to say, the males were more focused on the females in their swimsuits than their actual activity.

"Oh my god! Those guys are looking at us!"

"They're all perverts!"

"Guys! Come on! We've got to focus here!" Hikari tried in vain to stop the commotion that a lot of the girls were making. Considering the swimsuits, Hikari felt quite exposed and blushed as she was checked out from below. Hikari frowned as no one listened to her. She glanced down at Toji, sighing. 'Why can't I tell you how I feel?'

"Man," Toji stated, staring up at the girls at the pool, "Hikari has great breasts doesn't she?"

"What'd you say?" Shinji asked Toji, wanting to confirm what he just said.

"I said, the girls all have great breasts, don't they Kensuke?"

"Yeah..." Kensuke sighed, his gaze not wavering from the girls, not even registering what Toji said before.

'Toji likes Hikari?' Shinji thought as he glanced up and caught Hikari staring down at said jock. 'And she likes him back?' Smiling slightly as Hikari quickly turned away at being caught by Shinji. Toji frowned slightly, coming into Shinji's face.

"Hey, big shot!" Shinji turned slightly, the smirk still on his face. "Who're staring at so intently?" Toji asked. Shinji, deciding to mess with his friend replied.

"Hikari?" Shinji replied innocently as Toji's face fell instantly.

"Not funny."

"Yes, it was." Shinji grinned in reply, before turning back to the pool above. Setting his gaze on Rei, sitting by herself, against the back of the fence.

"It's Ayanami... isn't it?" Kensuke asked, a massive smirk on his face as he pushed Toji towards the ground. Toji grunted, pushing Kensuke away from him, turning back on Shinji.

"Is it her breasts? Or her silky thighs? Or how about..."

"Her glistening..." Kensuke joined Toji in teasing Shinji... who simply frowned at them.

"What about Hikari, Toji?" Shinji swiftly cut in, smirking in Toji's direction.

"That's not important!" Kensuke smirked at Shinji. To them, it was very important.

"Come on!" Kensuke cut in. "Why could you be looking at her?"

"I don't like her like that. It's just... she always seems to be alone." Toji and Kensuke frowned.

"Come to think of it..." Toji replied, "She hasn't had a single friend since she started here."

"There's just something about her that... makes her hard to approach." Kensuke added. "Like she's always in her own world."

"She probably just has a lousy personality." Toji commented, as Rei continued to sit in silence. Rei turned her head slightly, glancing at Shinji briefly. Shinji quickly stuck his fingers in Toji's nose, intending to move him around as a puppet. As he moved Toji around, the girls started to laugh a lot, Shinji smirked as they laughed, smiling slightly when Hikari went on a bit of a rage.

"Toji! Just what the hell do you think you're doing!" She cried as Rei just stared from beside her.

'Damn. She didn't laugh.' Shinji thought as Toji got back up in anger. 'Is she some kind of robot or something? Nah, she can't be.'

"What the hell do you think you're doin'!?" Toji cried from beside Shinji, who payed him no mind. "Hey, Ikari! Listen to me!"

"Oh!" Shinji replied, turning to Toji. "Let's just we're even now." Shinji stated giving Toji a happy smile as he grinned back. The shrill sound of the whistle got the three boys moving again. Jogging around the track, Toji and Kensuke continued to speak.

"I mean, you're both Eva pilots, right? You should know her better than any of us."

"Kensuke's right." Toji confirmed as Shinji came to a stop.

"Well, I've never actually spoken to her." Shinji shook his head as he caught up to his friends. "Don't worry about it. Besides, can't let Hikari catch you looking at her, right Toji?"

"Wha-?" Shinji laughed at his friends discomfort, bringing a smile to his face.

* * *

"Evangelion Unit-01 is currently entering the third stage cooling process. Lower all systems to Phase 3 in Cage 6." Shinji sat in silence inside of Unit-01. Standing across from him, in full view, was the orange visage of Unit-00.

"The harmonics and synchronisation tests were all good. All numerical conditions have been satisfied."

"Roger. Transmit the results to Balthasar."

Across the Cage, Rei was standing in her white plugsuit, preparing to enter Unit-00's Entry Plug. With silent steps, Gendo Ikari walked towards Rei.

"Transmitting the full range of the Entry Plug's data to Melchior."

Rei smiled at the sight of the Commander. Hopping down from Unit-00's shoulder to greet the man. Speaking slowly, with a small smile on her face.

"This is Melchior. Roger. Circuits connected."

"Initiating third stage cooling process. CBL circulation has begun."

Shinji stared as his father gladly replied to Rei. Feeling a sense of betrayal, Shinji couldn't look away. 'Why? Why can't my father talk to me like that?'

"Condensation reactor. Commencing operation. Vent waste fluid to the second purification system."

Gendo and Rei continued to speak across the cage, with Shinji having no way to know what they were saying. He sat in silence and anger. Anger at his father for leaving him.

"T-minus 1,050 minutes till Unit-00 re-activation test."

* * *

_\- Neon Genesis Evangelion S2 Works – Disc 2, Track 14 – B-16 (Rhythm Only) -_

"What is this?" Came the surprised voice of Ritsuko Akagi that night. Sitting on the floor of the apartment, Ritsuko Akagi stared at the slop that sat in front of her. The slop that was supposed to be her dinner.

"It's curry!" Misato replied cheerily as Ritsuko stared at her friend in disbelief.

"You mean you still eat that instant stuff!?"

"Look, you're a guest. You have no right to complain!" Shinji glanced up slightly as he served Shamshel, who hadn't yet had the experience of Misato's cooking just yet. The Fourth Angel had been warned by his brother that the food wasn't necessarily the best. Yet, he was tempted to try it to see if his brother was just messing with him. Which, considering the Third Angel's personality, was extremely likely to him.

"Misato? Don't you want anything?" Shinji asked, after serving Shamshel, who was staring at the plate in wonder.

"Oh, sorry!" Misato replied, taking her plate away to reveal a cup of instant ramen underneath. Quickly filling up the cup with boiling water, she brought it over to Shinji. "Ta-da! Pour some of that right on top, Shinji!"

"You can't be serious?"

"Go on! You guys have no idea how good this is!"

"Okay..." Shinji replied warily as he started to pour some into the cup. Sachiel stared, wonder in his eyes.

"This is gonna be awesome!"

"Ordinary curry flavoured instant ramen can't compare to this! Yeah, come on!" Misato prepared to eat, settling into her seat. "Let's eat guys!" Everyone stared at Misato, simply stunned at what she was doing... giving the cup a good mix. "Yeah, the trick is to put less hot water in the soup!" Misato happily picked up a set of ramen with her chopsticks, gladly slurping them down afterwards.

Shinji and Ritsuko stared at Misato, before picking up the spoons and taking a bite... promptly stopping as soon as the curry hit their mouths. Misato hadn't gotten any better at cooking, as Ritsuko had very quickly figured out. "Misato cooked tonight, didn't she?"

"Yes." Shinji and Sachiel replied in tandem.

"You can tell!" Misato replied happily, continuing to slurp down her ramen.

"That was absolutely disgusting!" Shamshel cried after spitting his food back onto his plate. "How do you live with this woman!?" Misato gave the Angel a glare at that remark, which everyone else in the room agreed with.

"Its taste gives it away..." Ritsuko commented dryly, "Only Misato can make instant curry taste so awful." Pen-Pen stared at the group from the door, ready to get his own dinner. Ritsuko continued to speak, addressing Misato directly. "Next time you invite me over, make sure it's Shinji's turn to cook."

Pen-Pen retreated to his current abode, where, in his bowl, was the same instant curry that Shinji, Ritsuko and the Angels had just had. The penguin took a bite, promptly falling to the ground in shock after he had eaten. It was that bad.

The crash caused Shinji to glance towards Pen-Pen, wondering what had happened.

"You know, Shinji, you really ought to move out." Ritsuko stated, causing the Third Child to face the scientist. "You shouldn't let one bad roommate ruin your life."

"I'm used to it now. Besides, she's not that bad, just a bit... slobby."

"Shinji..." Misato drunkenly stated, having started on the beer after finishing her ramen. "Ritsuko. Never underestimate the ability of the human animal to adapt to its environment. Anyway, if he does move..." Misato had been shaking her beer can the entire time. "Shinji, can you bring me another beer, please?" Shinji rolled his eyes as he stood and exited the room, heading towards the kitchen. "The red tape would be a pain." Misato continued before her dilemma. "He does have his permanent security card, you know."

_\- End -_

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Ritsuko suddenly cried, reaching for her handbag, rummaging through it. "Shinji, can you do me a favour?"

"What is it?" Shinji replied as he re-entered the room holding Misato's next beer can. Ritsuko reached up to Shinji, handing him a similar security card to his own.

"Rei's new security card." Ritsuko replied, "I keep forgetting to give it to her." Misato eagerly grabbed her next beer, quickly chugging it down. Both Shinji and Ritsuko just stared at the Captain, wondering how she could keep all that alcohol down. "Sorry, Shinji. Would you mind delivering it to her before going to headquarters tomorrow?"

"Yeah, sure." Shinji replied, taking the card in his hand. Turning it over, Rei's normal, cold face stared back at him. Misato glanced up from her beer, smirking as she could tease Shinji.

"What's the matter?" Misato slyly stated. "You're staring at Rei's picture, aren't you!"

"What!" Shinji replied, a faint blush pinking his cheeks. "No I'm not!"

"Yes he is!" Sachiel called, flying up to Shinji's shoulder and settling on it. "Now, Shinji buddy, when you're talking to a... wah!" Shamshel had pulled Sachiel down hard, bringing the Angel to the ground.

"Be quiet."

"Come on, Shinji! You're blushing!" Misato gleefully called out, covering her face to hide her laughter. "Hey, now you have a reason to go to Rei's place, don't you?" Shinji aggressively sat down, annoyance written on his face.

"Stop teasing me!"

Misato started giggling as she shook her beer can in front of her. "But I love teasing you! You always take it so seriously!" Shinji stared at Misato in annoyance. Sachiel was laughing along with Misato, who was having way to much fun with the situation. Shamshel sighed at his brother's antics.

"Funny. That's just like you Misato." Ritsuko commented, causing Misato to stop and glare at her friend. Shinji smiled in relief, before returning his attention to Rei's card.

"I just find it strange that I know so little about Ayanami, even though we're both Eva Pilots."

"She's a nice girl." Ritsuko replied, deciding to slightly join in on the teasing. It was fun after all. "But she is like your father. She's not very adept at..."

"Not very adept at what?"

"Living, I guess... Also being a loving girlfriend."

"Doctor Akagi!"

"Haha! Shinji's got a crush!"

"Shut it, Sachiel!"

**つづく**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's another chapter done! We learn more about Rei every second do we. Couple scenes from the Manga here: The intro, with Shinji and Misato meeting Rei at NERV, and I incorporated Shinji's gag with Toji during the P.E. scene. All in all, a long nice chapter.
> 
> I thought about including a school scene in here, but felt that P.E. was enough. I also debated on including Gendo and Rei's conversation outside of Unit-00, but decided against it.
> 
> You all know what's coming next! Until then, Ciao!


	11. Beyond Rei's Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinji meets Rei and accidently falls on top of her. He spends some time trying to deliver her ID card to her to no avail. After the Unit-00 reactivation test, the Fifth Angel begins her approach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! You guys all know what's happening. Shinji really meets Rei here (and I mean really meets her), and the Fifth Angel begins its approach!

**August 9th, 2015**

The glare of the early morning sun shone through the foggy clouds as Shinji made his way through the deserted streets of Tokyo-3, why he decided to come to Rei's place to deliver her new ID at the crack of dawn was a mystery to him. But he was already out, so why stop now.

Coming into the street where Rei lived, Shinji glanced up. The building that sat there was a complete mess. No sense of cleanliness or order were seen. Simply put, the place looked like it was going to be torn down any day now. No person, would ever want to actually live here.

"This place looks like a dump!" Sachiel commented as he floated beside Shinji, opting to go for a smaller size today. Shamshel was too dumbfounded to even comment. Shinji just glanced warily at the staircase, before slowly making his way towards it. Heading towards the 4th Floor, just as he had been instructed.

Reaching room 402, he glanced up. The door was just as bad as the building, but only time would tell what the inside of the apartment looked like. Convinced that this was where Rei lived. (And it was not because there was the name Ayanami in the slot above the door) Shinji stepped forward and tried the doorbell.

"There's no sound."

"Thanks, Shamshel." Shinji replied sarcastically, before knocking instead. Nothing happened.

"Maybe she's having a shower?" Shamshel stated glancing at the door. "Maybe that's why she couldn't hear you."

"Hope not." Shinji replied, trying one more thing. The Door Handle. Pulling on it, the handle moved normally. The door was unlocked.

"That's not a viable solution to anything." Shamshel commented as Shinji opened the door and peeked inside. The apartment wasn't much better than the building itself.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Shinji commented to himself, before speaking up. "Excuse me? Rei? Sorry for intruding. It's me, Shinji Ikari." Nothing happened. Taking a deep breath, Shinji entered the apartment, letting the door shut behind him. "Damn it all. I'm coming in, alright…" Shinji removed his shoes, and stepped into the apartment.

Walking through the hallway Shinji noticed one thing. The apartment was extremely small, and extremely barren. In the small bedroom, only a desk sat, along with a rickety bed. On the bed was Rei's uniform, what seemed to be the only clothes she actually owned. Oddly, the pillow had patches of dried blood on it, with a box in the corner full of bloodied paper. One window was in the room, through which the early morning sunlight shone through. Glancing around, Shinji was appalled, the state of the place was an absolute wreck. While glancing around, something caught his attention, a pair of glasses on the desk.

"These can't be Rei's glasses." Shinji commented as he wandered over to them, on closer inspection, the glass had cracks in it, and the entire frame looked slightly melted. Putting them on, Shinji stood for a moment.

"You look like your father, Shinji." Shinji frowned at Sachiel before his attention was torn elsewhere. The sound of a curtain being pulled away was heard. Freezing, Shinji turned towards the sound, where Rei stood, a towel wrapped around her shoulders. Beside him, Sachiel started buzzing with glee, while Shamshel just stared at his brother, confused.

Stopping from drying her hair, Rei let the towel drop around her neck, covering her modesty as Shinji tried to explain himself. "Rei… I…" Rei stared at the boy, before stepping forward, a somewhat angry expression on her face. "I didn't mean to…" Rei stepped right towards Shinji, using her hand to take the glasses of his face. In the process, Shinji lost his balance, sending both himself, Rei, and one of the draws in the desk sprawling to the floor.

From their position, anybody who decided to walk into the apartment at that exact moment would immediately turn away to give the two teens some privacy. Yet, Shinji and Rei simply stared at each other. While the towel Rei had been wearing had softened the fall a bit, there was just one problem. The towel wasn't covering Rei anymore. Shinji, still frozen, had no idea what had just happened.

"Will you please get off?" Shinji stared at the blue-haired girl quietly, before feeling something squishy in his left hand. Looking down, his hand had somehow landed on Rei's bare breast during the fall. Shinji quickly got up, panic and embarrassment written all over his face. Rei continued to stare as Shinji started fumbling over his words, an attempt to say sorry. Rei just stood, not bothered at all by her nudity.

Rei stalked away, Shinji staring after her as she started to get dressed. Confused and at a complete loss for words, Shinji simply clenched his hand a couple of times.

"What is it?" Rei suddenly stated, causing Shinji to have a complete rewind at what had just happened.

"Well, I mean, I was…" Shinji stopped for a moment and glanced at the girl again, before quickly gathering himself together. "I mean, I was asked too, so I… what was it? Oh right, the card, your card… it's been renewed! I was asked to deliver it." Shinji gulped as Rei continued to change, the shuffling of clothes throwing the boys thoughts all over the place. "So… I didn't mean for any of this to happen! I swear!" Rei carefully placed the glasses away, staring at them for a moment. "Ritsuko asked me to give it to you. It's true. I rang the doorbell, but I think it's broken. There was no reply. And the door was unlocked. So…" The sound of a door closing broke Shinji from his attempt to tell Rei what he had been doing. Staring at the door, Shinji sighed.

"Smooth." Shamshel commented, earning a laugh from Sachiel.

"I finally did it though! I now know where babies come from!" Sachiel cheered as Shemshel stared at him in annoyance.

"What? That's what you're more concerned about?"

"Of course! I finally understand everything!"

"What have you been looking at on the internet!?"

"Nothing of concern."

"Weirdo."

* * *

'Damn!' Shinji growled to himself as he crushed the can he was holding under his fist. 'She probably hates me now.' He thought as he threw the can to the ground in anger. 'This can was crap anyway. A waste of money.' As he prepared to get up, a shadow came into his view.

Rei stood watching him, silent. A small look of annoyance on her face. Without saying anything, she started to walk away, not looking back.

"Ayanami!" Shinji called. Rei didn't answer, and kept walking. Shinji watched her go, before making up his mind and running after her. "Hey! You're going to HQ, right? Rei! Wait up!"

Rei didn't respond to Shinji. She knew he was following her, yet she wouldn't speak. Why should she? She was annoyed. Annoyed that Shinji had taken and wore something that was hers, that she kept safe. She didn't care that the boy had seen her body. To her, Nudity was natural. Clothes just got in the way. But she wore them, because that was what society had told her.

"Fancy her, Shinji?" Sachiel stated, from his spot inside Shinji's shirt pocket. Shamshel sighed from the same place. Shinji frowned, not listening to the two Angels as he walked behind Rei. Wandering past a large yellow building, Shinji kept his eyes on the strange girl. 'Why was she like that?' He thought as he walked. 'Why was she more concerned about the glasses than herself? Nothing was hidden. It was a big mistake. I just hope she knows that.'

* * *

Rei stepped towards the large iron gates that were the entry point to NERV HQ. Coming to a standstill, the black machine sat to her right, allowing her to swipe for entry. Providing her ID Card she had on her, she swiped the card through the machine. The machine flashed red. Frowning, Rei tried again. Red flashed again.

Shinji stepped into place beside her. Swiping her new and renewed card across the same place. Smiling at her, the machine flashed Green. "As I was trying to say before, this is your new card. Dr. Akagi asked me to deliver it to you." Rei stared at the boy, annoyance brushed over her, snatching the card away, and stepping into the confines of NERV HQ. Shinji watched as the girl entered, the door shutting, blocking his view.

"Real smooth, Casanova."

"Shut up, Sachiel!"

* * *

_\- Music from Evangelion 1.0 – Track 26 – Cruel Dilemme IV –_

The elevator creaked as it moved slowly along its course. Rei in front. Shinji still trailing behind.

"Look, I'm sorry about earlier." Shinji said, staring ahead of him.

"About what?" Rei replied, in her usual monotone voice.

"Um… Well I…" Shinji struggled to get words out, the embarrassment of the moment catching up with him all over again. "You have a re-activation test today, right?" Shinji quickly said, changing the subject. "Aren't you scared that it might fail again? Aren't you afraid of getting back into Unit-00?"

"Why?"

"It's just that… I heard you got hurt pretty badly in the first test…" Shinji muttered, "So I was just wondering if you were okay with it."

"Aren't you Commander Ikari's son?" Rei asked suddenly, catching Shinji off guard.

"Yeah."

"Don't you have faith in your father's work?" Shinji felt an overwhelming amount of anger at Rei's seemingly innocent question.

"No! Of course not! How can I possibly trust him!?" Rei turned suddenly, stepping up a couple of steps to stand right in front of Shinji. Shinji started to sweat at the girl's closeness, a feeling of unease as Rei stared straight into his eyes. "What's wrong?" Rei brought her hand up, and slapped him. Hard. Rei stared for a few more moments, before silently turning and walking down the elevator, away from Shinji. Shinji brought his hand up to his face, touching the place where her hand had contacted his face.

"What just happened?" Sachiel said, "I thought you were actually getting somewhere there!"

"What is it with you and girls, Sachiel?"

"Why, what a great question Shamshel! You see, the female is a very exquisite species, that are specifically designed to house…" Both Shinji and Shamshel droned Sachiel out at this point, as Sachiel detailed the wonders of the female body all over again.

* * *

Rei had gotten changed in the change rooms while Shinji was dealing with his Angel friends. She sat in silence, not completely sure whether what she had done was right. 'I've never felt like that before?' She thought as she pressed the button on her left wrist, pressurising the plugsuit to fit around her slender body.

Memories of the first activation test plagued her mind. She frowned at what had happened to her, and to why Unit-00 didn't listen to her. She vaguely remembered a voice sounding so much like her own, screaming in the entry plug. "AKAGI! THAT VILE WOMAN KILLED US! KILL, AKAGI!" Were only some of the things that she heard during the first test.

She then smiled slightly, memories of the Commander coming to rescue her, asking if she was all right. She was very happy about that. It made her feel special, wanted. She continued to sit, waiting for the moment when she would be called to enter Unit-00 once again.

_\- End -_

* * *

Rei sat in silence. The Entry Plugs walls comforting her. She was back. This time, the Eva would work.

"Rei." The Commander's voice came over the intercom. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes." She replied simply, sitting in wait.

"The Unit-00 re-activation test will now commence. Initiate first stage connections."

"Connecting main power supply." Unit-00 once again hung limply in the same room it first used a couple months before. Once again, the Unit was restrained to the wall, the atmosphere was eerily similar to the initial test. But this time, Unit-00 would activate.

"Activation voltage has passed the critical point."

"Roger." Ritsuko replied, staring warily out at the Orange Eva Unit. "Shift format to Phase 2."

"Connecting Pilot to Unit-00."

"Opening Circuits." The Entry Plug flashed brilliant colours around Rei, but she didn't notice, continuing to stare straight ahead. "Pulse and Harmonics are normal." The Entry Plug finished flashing colours, settling into a semi-activation mode, showing the room around Unit-00 in detail.

"No problems detected in synchronisation."

Close by, Shinji and Misato watched as Unit-00 went through the various preparations. Neither said anything, simply watching.

"All nerve links completed."

"Central nervous system elements are nominal."

"Re-calculating. No error connections." Rei glanced to the right. The glasses hung of the control yokes. It was there. He was with her.

"Checklist is satisfactory up to 2590. Approaching absolute borderline." Shinji continued to watch. Still silent. "2.5 more. 1.7… 1.2… 1.0… 0.8… 0.6… 0.5…" As Maya continued her countdown, everyone watched with anticipation, for anything to happen. Ritsuko glanced over at Gendo, staring out at Unit-00. "0.4… 0.3… 0.2… 0.1 and rising." A cheery beep sounded from the monitor Maya was sitting at. "Absolute borderline cleared. Unit-00 has been activated."

"Roger." Rei simply replied from her perch in the Entry Plug. Her sight hadn't wavered whatsoever. "Beginning Interlock test." She stated, as Unit-00 moved into higher, more productive testing.

* * *

A gentle hum sounded loudly across the region. Rising steadily from the water. The being began to move. The hum continuing along its way.

* * *

"Ikari!" Fuyutsuki stated, placing the phone down. "An unidentified object has been spotted, flying, heading rapidly for Tokyo-3. It's likely to be the Fifth Angel." Gendo nodded, understanding.

"Abort the test. All personal, all operations to First Stage Alert."

"You're not going to use Unit-00?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"She isn't ready to fight yet." Gendo replied, "What is the status of Unit-01?"

"Unit-01 can be ready in 380 seconds." Ritsuko replied.

"Make it so."

"Yes, sir."

"Rei." Gendo asked, turning his attention back to Unit-00. "Re-activation was successful. Return now."

The Entry Plug returned to a dormant state. The dull walls coming back into place. Rei leaned back. Letting out a massive sigh, the bubbles of the LCL drifting in the Plug.

Shinji stood to the side in silence, the re-activation test had been successful, but further testing was suspended, and he had an idea why. Fuyutsuki's call had confirmed it.

"What's the matter?" Gendo asked coldly. Shinji glanced up at his father, staring right at him. "Get going!"

'Of course.' Shinji thought as he ran out of the room, towards Unit-01's cage. 'He won't even wish me good luck. I can't believe in my father right now. All I can do, is get in the Eva and fight.'

* * *

The being approached Tokyo-3 at a swift pace. The being was a massive octahedron, blue coloured. It didn't look threatening at all. Moving quickly and swiftly, the giant crystalline octahedron moved towards Tokyo-3's epicentre, the bright blue skin reflecting everything anyone saw, it's hum never stopping as it flew.

Ramiel was prepared, ready for her opponent.

**つづく**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ramiel's here! Now knowing every single Eva fic writer on the planet. The Rebuild version is obviously being used here. Because Ramiel in Rebuild is awesome! Not much aside from that. Battle will take up the next two chapters. This one's a doozy.
> 
> Note about Angel genders:  
I've decided that each Angel will be either Male or Female. While I'll decide some of them along the way, others are already guaranteed:  
Sachiel and Shamshel are both Male.  
As noted above, Ramiel is Female.
> 
> As for what I've decided:  
Zeruel is definitely Male.  
Israfel is both. Alpha is Male (Gold), Beta is Female (Silver).  
Arael and Armisael are both Female.
> 
> As for the others, they haven't been decided yet. Although Gaghiel will most likely be male. Suggestions for the other Angels genders is highly appreciated, so bring them in!
> 
> Additions and changes:  
Short scene from the Manga after Shinji meets Rei.  
Gendo and Shinji scene from Unit-00 re-activation test, after Ramiel is confirmed. (Manga)
> 
> I'll see you all for Chapter 12! Until then, Ciao!


	12. What Her Crimson Eyes Believe In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinji takes on the Fifth Angel and loses very badly. Shinji relieves terrible memories while waiting to wake up. NERV begins plans to take out the Fifth Angel, called Operation Yashima, a plan to snipe the Angel from outside its range. Shinji wakes up, expressing discomfort at piloting Unit-01 again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episode 6! The finale of the opening arc, and the finale of Evangelion 1.0! Ramiel is here to fight, and it'll be a bit harder than the previous battles.

**August 8** **th** **, 2015**

The room was dark. From the outside, no-one knew what the room was for. In fact, there were no windows at all in the dark room. It was empty. Between certain people however, the room was very important.

"Gentlemen!" A voice suddenly came through the darkness, a giant monolith appearing in the dark room. On the monolith was a strange logo, seven eyes adorning a shield like shape. Lower on the monolith, a large number one was shown. Around the room, more monoliths of the same size and design appeared around the room. Each one numbered from one to fifteen. "It has been a while since we last spoke." 1 said as everyone settled into place.

"Yes," 7 replied. "We have much to discuss."

"Important matters first," 13 stated as everyone fell silent. "Have you discussed with Ikari about the Human Instrumentality Project?"

"Yes," 3 replied, "And he took it soundly to. Although we'll need to watch him. He seems to be… disinterested."

"Rest assured," 4 continued, "He still follows along with the scenario. Even if he blindly gave his son a multi-billion dollar robot without much thought or consideration. The pieces of the scenario are falling into place."

"Speaking of the Evangelions," 10 said, "How are the remaining Units coming along?"

"Unit-02 is ready to be shipped to Japan, and is already on its way. The Second Child is going with them." 6 said.

"Excellent." 11 stated, "Having a Unit that's a bit more… expendable will be helpful I'm sure."

"Unit-03 is also apparently complete and is awaiting confirmation to board with Unit-02 to Japan." 15 said.

"That will be a problem," 12 stated, "the Thirteenth needs a host of some sort, according to the Dead Sea Scrolls."

"That won't be a problem." 2 said, "We can bring Unit-03 back for… repairs."

"What of Unit-04?" 14 said.

"Unit-04 is ready for initiation of the S2 Engine project." 5 said.

"Is our men ready?" 3 asked.

"Yes," 5 replied, "the project should go off as we… predicted."

"Excellent." 1 stated, "What of that dysfunctional Unit-05?"

"A lost cause." 15 said, "It and its temperamental pilot, the Proto Child, is all ready for their place in the scenario.

"Anymore info on the Evangelions?" 8 asked, the first time he'd spoken this meeting.

"Yes, Unit-00 is set for a re-activation test tomorrow. Meanwhile, Unit-07 and Unit-08 are in production." 9 said.

"Splendid." 13 replied, "However, giving Ikari that much fire-power? Is that a risk worth taking?"

"Yes," 1 replied, "We've gotten confirmation that the Fifth is already on its way to Tokyo-3, a full week before the projections in the Dead Sea Scrolls. If the Fifth is already on its way, then we can expect things to move quickly and swiftly. Having more Evangelions stationed in Tokyo-3 will make the defeat of the Angels quicker, and as such, prepare us for Instrumentality."

"Excellent." 2 replied, "We are getting one step closer to our ultimate goal! Power and control over all of humankind!" A bout of laughter swept through the room.

"One more thing we must discuss." 10 swiftly cut everyone off. "What of your charge? The Seventeenth?"

"Tabris is currently in wait on the moon." 1 replied, "He will be summoned when he is ready. I have trained him and tailored him well. He will break the sanity of the pilots, specifically the Third, which will allow us to use him for our scenario! Everything is falling into place Gentlemen."

"Excellent," 4 stated, "I suppose that is all for this meeting."

"Yes." 1 replied, "Let us hope we don't meet again soon." With those words, the monoliths shut off one by one, sending the room back into darkness.

* * *

**August 9** **th** **, 2015**

_\- Music from Evangelion 1.0 – Track 15 – Lucifer's Cry –_

"Monitored object proceeding past the Odawara defence line."

"Target analysis complete." Hyuga stated as the screens lit up in a flurry of messages. "Pattern Blue. Fifth Angel confirmed."

"It's as we thought." Fuyutsuki commented as he was lifted up to the command deck with Gendo. "The Fifth Angel is approaching."

"So it does." Gendo replied, pushing his glasses up his face. "Let's send Unit-01 out to meet it."

"Evangelion Unit-01 preparing for launch!"

"Equipping anti-air interception weapons."

"Target in range above Lake Ashinoko." Shigeru Aoba stated as Misato stared at the screen. The Angel emitting a brief rainbow halo.

"Evangelion Unit-01 is ready for launch!" Hyuga stated.

"Ready, Shinji?" Misato asked.

"Ready!"

"Understood. Let's move out!" Misato called.

Rei watched from ground level as Unit-01 was launched to meet the Angel. As Unit-01 shot towards the surface, both Sachiel and Shamshel shivered.

"Oh, no." Both stated at the exact same time. Shinji didn't hear them over the thrust of the catapult.

Ramiel continued to drift towards the epicentre. A slow build up occurring inside.

"High energy reading coming from inside the target!" Aoba suddenly called, Misato whipping around immediately to confirm what she had heard.

"What'd you just say!?"

"Don't tell me…" Ritsuko commented, watching as Unit-01 neared the surface.

The lift opened, and Unit-01 shot into place. Ready for battle.

"Shinji, get out of there!" Misato called. Shinji glanced over, the Angel in the distance starting a transformation, the crystalline structure moving in strange and mysterious ways.

"Not Ramiel!" Shamshel called, "Why now!?"

"Shinji, we have to move!" Sachiel stated.

Ramiel continued shapeshifting into an hourglass figure, its core exposed for the world to see. With a burst of energy, a large beam headed straight for Unit-01, destroying every building it came into contact with. Unit-01's A.T. Field came up to stop the blast, but it was no use. The beam ripped straight through, colliding with Unit-01's chest.

Shinji groaned in pain as a warning came up in the Entry Plug. Condition Yellow. A small ball appeared in correspondence to were the beam was impacting Unit-01. Shinji withered in pain the entire time.

"It's too much for him," Ritsuko commented, "Lower the synchronisation rate!"

"Deploy the blast shield!" Misato said, "Hurry!" Hyuga immediately followed the order. The blast shield came up slowly, before slamming into place. The beam collided with the shield, stopping its assault on Unit-01. The beam stopped.

Ramiel started to shift again, its limbs changing proportions rapidly. A six point diamond appeared, with each point having a split of the core. Ramiel started charging again, the limbs spinning rapidly. Each core fired towards the point in the middle, before firing the charged beam back at Unit-01.

The blast shield didn't hold. In seconds the thing was torn apart by the sheer force of the upgraded beam, and impacting Unit-01 all over again.

"Abort mission! Begin emergency recovery of Unit-01!" Misato called in anguish.

"We can't! The catapult has melted! It won't operate!"

"What about the A.T. Field?" Ritsuko asked, concern written all over her face.

"It's been raised to maximum. Structural integrity is holding, but barely!" Maya replied, an equal scowl on her face.

The beam continued to bore into Unit-01. The harrowing screams of Shinji echoed throughout Central Dogma. Everyone looked on in fright. Condition Yellow changed to Red. The LCL boiling around Shinji. "No! Stop! Enough of this! Let me out! Get me out of here! Father!" Shinji called in considerable pain.

Misato watched, tears slowly coming to her eyes. Maintaining an air of authority, she turned to Hyuga. "Abort the operation! Prioritise Shinji's safety! Force eject the Entry Plug!"

"No." Misato turned in horror, to where Gendo Ikari sat high above, watching silently. Intently. "Cancel that order."

"If we were to eject the Entry Plug, then the A.T. Field will no longer hold, causing Unit-01 to immediately be destroyed! Things will just go from bad, to worse!" Ritsuko commented, confirming Commander Ikari's statement.

"Yes, but…" Misato replied, Shinji's screams still echoing around them. Scrunching up her face, not allowing any tears to come out, Misato turned to the main screen. "We have no other choice… Emergency recovery of Evangelion Unit-01! Detonate the explosive bolts!"

Explosions started to occur around the city block where Unit-01 currently resided. As they exploded, the entire block started to lower into the ground. Cars and trucks falling if they were sitting on the block itself. Unit-01 was taken away from the beam, Ramiel bringing the beam to a rest. The entire block gone from view. Ramiel shifted back into its base octahedral form. Satisfied.

_\- End –_

"The target has ceased fire."

"Emergency recovery of Unit-01 successful. Sending to Cage 99!"

"Medical team, standby!" Misato called, fear and anxiousness laced through her voice.

"First priority, cool the LCL in the plug!" Ristuko called.

"Pilot confirmed! His heart rate is weak, but he's alive. Sachiel and Shamshel are both fine."

"Maximise Plug Suit life support! Begin cardiac massage!" Ritsuko called, apprehension drawn across her face.

"Understood!" Hyuga replied.

Shinji gasped as he was hit with a sudden massage on his heart.

"Pulse confirmed! Life signs stable!"

"Good! Forcefully eject the plug!" The Plug was taken from Unit-01's melted armour, taken away immediately. "Begin emergency LCL release!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Where's that medical team!" Misato cried out in anguish, holding two phones at once.

Shinji was moved quickly to a separate location, placed on a bed, sealed off by a large black box. Life support systems in place all over his body. He was wheeled away, taken into a separate station of the medical facility at NERV. The door locked with a menacing red light above.

* * *

Shinji drifted in the blackness of his mind. Staring around him, he frowned as he thought. 'Where… Where am I?' Shinji continued to glance around, not sure about what was happening. 'It's so dark… I can't see anything.' Shinji watched as an old memory was played out for him. His aunt and uncle coming into place in front of him, a younger version of him. Shinji stared as his aunt and uncle spoke.

"Shinji…" His uncle stated.

"Hi, Shinji." His aunt spoke happily. "Look over there." Turning his head slightly, he glanced over at what his aunt was pointing at.

"We made you a study room, Shinji." His Uncle said. "You can work there from now on."

"You're going to be in Junior High next year, Shinji. We thought you might want your own room."

"So, we built one in the garden, just for you." His Uncle finished. Shinji stared as his younger self smiled and thanked them.

"Thanks, Auntie. Thanks, Uncle." The scene suddenly changed. Shinji frowned as he felt the rain start from above, the rain got worse as the Young Shinji returned. Alone. "I'll study hard. By myself." A beam of light shined on the ground. Shinji frowned as a bicycle was visible under the light. He didn't want to see this, but he couldn't escape. The Young Shinji stepped forward, taking the bike. Preparing to ride it away.

"You there." The Young Shinji stopped, turning towards the voice. Shinji frowned as the man came into view. "Hold it… Is that your bike?" The officer asked.

"No… but someone had thrown it away… under the bridge…"

"It's not nice to lie."

"Honest!" The Young Shinji cried. "It's the truth!"

"Let's have a talk at the station." The scene changed again. A small table appeared, a young lady sat on one end, while the Young Shinji sat at the other.

"Name?"

"Shinji Ikari."

"And your address?" Shinji was silent.

"Who's your guardian?"

"Gendo Ikari." A door suddenly opened and Shinji watched as his Aunt came into the room.

"Shinji!" She stopped in front of the young boy, as he turned away from her. "What did you do!? You should have told us if you wanted a bike!"

"No."

"Your father gave us enough money for that!" Shinji frowned as the image changed back to rain. His Aunt walked ahead under an umbrella. Young Shinji following behind, the rain hitting his face. 'That's not what happened.' Shinji thought as they disappeared, and the space returned to darkness. 'Dad… You wouldn't have come to pick me up. Even now. Mum… If Mum was still alive… would she have come for me…?' Shinji frowned as he drifted back into unconsciousness. 'Mum…'

* * *

Ramiel continued to drift towards the epicentre, the hum always occurring. Arriving at its destination, it slowed to a halt. Twisting the lower point of its current form, she contorted her lowest point into a drill. Drilling into the ground, on contact, Ramiel's A.T. field started spinning in spurts around it. Ramiel was at her location. Now she had to wait.

* * *

A loud whirring sound passed through the deserted streets of Tokyo-3. High above, Evangelion Unit-01 moved towards Ramiel at a steady pace. The Eva itself didn't move at all, only being pushed along by the wind. This was the initial strategy. A giant 1:1 balloon replica of Evangelion Unit-01. A test of sorts, to see what the Angel would do. Ramiel started to shift as Unit-01 came into view. The whirring of Ramiel came as she charged up, releasing the beam and destroying the balloon as soon as the fake Eva raised a rifle.

"The enemy's particle beam cannon has hit!" Aoba noted, "The dummy has been vaporised!"

"Next." Misato replied. A large gun came out on a railroad track. Pointed towards Ramiel, who was busy shifting back to its base octahedral form. The giant gun, called a mortar, sent a powerful shot towards Ramiel. The Angel deflected the shot with her A.T. Field, sending the shot into the sky. As the Field came up, Ramiel shifted again, sending a particle beam towards the mortar, destroying it.

"The Model 12 Self-Propelled Mortar has been destroyed!" Aoba confirmed.

"Yeah, I see that." Misato replied with a sigh. Nothing was working. They needed a plan.

* * *

_\- Music from Evangelion 1.0 – Track 17 – Stratégie "Yashima" –_

Misato sat, twirling a pen around in her hand. Around her, in this dark room, various men and women sat, determining a cause and possible attack plan for the Fifth Angel.

"From the data we've collected, we are assuming that the Angel automatically attacks any opponent that comes into range." Hyuga noted from Misato's left, the tense situation dawning on everyone. "So, the likelihood of the Angel hitting anything entering in the area with its particle beam is 100%. It's too risky for close range combat in an Eva, isn't it?"

"What's the status on the target's A.T. Field?"

"It's still active." Maya replied as a replay of the attack on the mortar was shown. "The beam is strong enough that the spatial changes in phase one are visible to the naked eye. Needless to say, using conventional methods, such as guided missiles, artillery or bombs, will end up inflicting more damage on us, than the Angel. On top of that, the Angel's phase pattern is constantly shifting. The A.T. Field's surface is unstable. That's why it changes shape. Neutralising it will be incredibly difficult."

"Offensively and defensively the Angel is almost perfect." Misato commented after Maya's calculations. "A flying fortress. What have the MAGI determined?"

"According to MAGI calculations," Hyuga stated, "It is theoretically possible to pierce the enemy's A.T. Field. However, it would utilise a large assortment of aerial N2 Mines that would destroy NERV HQ in the process."

"Yes, and MAGI 2 at Matsushiro reached the same conclusion." Ritsuko commented. "It also seems that the Japanese Government and the United Nations are petitioning for attacks that involve NERV HQ self-destructing."

"Absolutely ridiculous. They aren't the ones in danger here. If this place goes, then all is lost." Misato replied. "What's the status on the Angel's drill?"

"At this exact moment the target is directly above us, penetrating the Tokyo-3 Null Zone. The drill, morphed from its own body, has a diameter of 17.5 metres. The drill is currently boring towards NERV HQ, not slowing in it's decent."

"That confirms it, the Angel is trying to attack us directly."

"Sassy bastard!" Misato replied, annoyance on her face. "What's the estimated time of arrival?"

"6 minutes, 54 seconds A.M. Just after midnight. By that point, the drill will have pierced all twenty-two layers of armour plating, and will penetrate the Geofront itself." Aoba stated.

"Less than ten hours…"

A loud whirring sound of clanking metal was heard above, a brief but grating sound. A beep alerted Misato to the local screen, where a current view of the drill in comparison to the armour plates was shown.

"The drill has contacted Armour Plate No. 01."

"Dammit!" Misato replied, slamming her fist down on the table. "What's the status of Unit-01?"

"Well, the defensive armour was melted down to the third layer." Ritsuko replied from Misato's right. "The good news is, the central control unit received no damage."

"Give the Angel a couple more seconds up there, and Unit-01 would've been destroyed." Maya commented from Ritsuko's right.

"Replacement parts should be outfitted in three hours. However, Unit-01 won't be fully moveable due to its previous injury."

"Understood." Misato replied, "What about Unit-00?"

"Unit-00's re-activation itself was successful with no problems." Maya replied, "Unfortunately, there's still a feedback error."

"So, it won't see actual combat…" Ritsuko stated staring at the ceiling.

"Impossible for Unit-00…" Misato replied, "What about Unit-01's pilot?"

"No physical damage was detected. However, his nerve pulses were up by 0.8. That is still within acceptable limits."

"Enemy arrival: 9 hours, 55 minutes." A booming voice came over the speaker system.

"Talk about a high-pressure situation." Misato smiled wryly.

"We're certainly backed into a corner." Maya commented. "We're completely out of options."

"Why don't we raise a white flag?" Hyuga suggested warily.

"Before we resort to that…" Misato replied, her smile still on her face. "There's one more thing I'd like to try." Misato turned to Hyuga, her smile still on her face. "The intelligence division should be aware of the JSSDF's prototype weapon, right?"

_\- End –_

* * *

Gendo's Ikari's office was not the most inviting place. It was dark, making anyone who entered feel uncomfortable. Gendo Ikari sat at his desk, Kozo Fuyutsuki standing behind him as he always did. Misato stood in the middle of the room, the glare from the windows giving the only visible light.

"You want to use a sniper to shoot from outside it's firing zone?"

"Yes, sir." Misato replied, "Instead of trying to neutralise the target's A.T. Field, I believe, that a shot with pin point accuracy from a high-energy beam is the only way to take out the Angel."

"What do the MAGI say?"

"The responses from the MAGI supercomputers were two affirmative, and one conditional affirmative."

"So, our probability of success is 8.7%."

"It's the highest value we've got."

"I see no reason to raise of objection, Captain Katsuragi." Gendo stated, speaking for the first time this meeting. "You may proceed."

"Thank you, Commander."

* * *

Ritsuko followed Misato at a brisk pace. Concern written all across her face. The head of Project E was not looking forward to this plan. At all. "Misato, you do know you've come up with a completely reckless plan?"

"Don't be rude, Ritsuko!" Misato replied, "It's not reckless! It can be done in the nine hours we have, and can be done with the highest chance of success."

"It does?" Ritsuko replied, surprised. "Really?"

Entering a small room, a large rifle could be seen sitting on the far wall. Still concerned, Ritsko commented on their own Positron Rifle, as it sat against the wall. "Our Positron Rifle doesn't have the capability to handle such a high output. What are you going to do about that?"

"If ours won't work… we'll borrow one of course!"

"We'll borrow one? You don't mean…" Misato grinned a small giggle escaping from her mouth.

"Yep! The Strategic SDF's Lab's new prototype!"

"The Protoype is unfinished!" Ritsuko replied, annoyed. "How are you planning to target the Angel, the target systems on their Prototype don't work."

"We'll just use the Eva!"

* * *

Misato had a massive smile on her face as she presented the JSSDF personnel with her requisition order on their Positron Rifle. "I have arrived on behalf of NERV to hereby requisition this Self Propelled Positron Cannon as of 15 hundred hours today."

The personnel of the Scientific Division of the JSSDF stared at Misato in uncertainty. "But this is just ridiculous!" One of the men stated.

"We'll do our best to return the cannon in as close to its original condition as possible." Misato continued, her official tone continuing to come through. "Thank you for your cooperation, and have a nice day!" Misato smiled, then turned to the ceiling. "Okay, Rei! Let's take it away!" Unit-00's orange visage suddenly appeared as it pulled the roof of the storage container away. The JSSDF Personnel behind them started to protest such an action, but Misato paid them no mind, secretly cheerful at their reaction to the Evangelion. "Be careful, Rei! This is a piece of precision machinery." Unit-00 started to take the boxes containing the various pieces of the cannon away. Hyuga stood a short distance away, overseeing the operation.

"But, ma'am." Hyuga stated, "Even so, our calculations show that it will take at least 180 kilowatts to penetrate the Angel's A.T. Field. Where are we going to get all that electricity?"

"Where do you think?" Misato replied, "From all of Japan of course!"

* * *

"We apologise for interrupting our regular programming for this Emergency Bulletin." Toji and Kensuke watched from the Suzuhara Residence, both boys held a controller in their hand, but had stopped playing, and where staring at the screen in wonder. "From 11:30 PM tonight, until tomorrow morning," At the Horaki Residence, Hikari sat in front of her laptop, but her attention had been taken by the announcement. "There will be a large scale power blackout throughout most of Japan. We appreciate your cooperation."

* * *

_\- Music from Evangelion 1.0 – Track 14 – The Longest Day II –_

Ramiel continued to drill down towards NERV HQ. It's speed never changing as it continued its assault on NERV HQ. In Central Dogma, preparations were underway.

"The Drill has just broken through defensive layer seven."

"What's the status on our energy system?" Misato asked.

"3.2% behind schedule." Hyuga replied, "But, we should manage to be finished by 23:10." He finished as he brought up the absolute mess of cables and machines on the main screen, showing the progress behind the operation.

"And the Positron Rifle?"

"From the Technology Development Department 3, we'll have it built for you in three hours." Replied a voice over the phone.

"How's our defence measures?"

"Well," Ritsuko replied over the phone, Maya by her side. "The best we can come up with is a Shield."

"So, this is the shield?" Maya asked, as they stared up at the giant black piece of metal.

"Yes." Ritsuko replied, "It's a hand-me-down from a single stage to orbit rocket. It may look ugly, but it has a super-electromagnetic base coating that Section 2 guarantees will stand up to the Angel's particle beam for at least seventeen seconds. Pretty impressive, huh?"

"Good." Misato replied from Central Dogma. "Have we determined the Sniper Position?"

"Taking in Geographical features, the range to the target, and power access into consideration, this right here would be the spot." Hyuga replied, checking over a map of the local area from his station, Misato watched from behind him.

"Definitely looks good." Misato replied, "Our sniping point will be atop Mt Futago!" Misato stepped back, taking on a commanding tone. "Our operation will begin tomorrow morning, at 0 hours! From this point on, this operation will be called, Operation Yashima!"

"Roger!"

_\- End –_

"Now our only problem is the pilot." Misato commented to herself.

* * *

The gentle beep of the life readings on Shinji Ikari continued in the dull silence of the room. Upon all four points passing the safety line, they quickly turned green and the life support started to be taken off of Shinji. As the box he was placed in started to lift away, Shinji opened his eyes to the world.

* * *

The placement of the phone back on its receiver was all the answer Misato needed, but she waited for official confirmation anyway.

"Unit-01's designated pilot is now conscious. His examination results look normal."

"Good." Misato replied, turning quickly. "Then the operation will proceed as planned."

"But… I wonder if he'll pilot again." Ritsuko stated, staring at documents near Misato.

"Let's get to Mt. Futago now!"

* * *

"What do you propose we do about Unit-01's pilot?" Fuyutsuki asked as he stood, watching from the window in Gendo Ikari's office.

"We have yet to test the Dummy Plug system." Gendo replied. "We'll try to keep the current pilot in place until they are more… practical."

"In the worst case… there's always brainwashing."

"No. If it doesn't work out, then we'll use Rei."

"Have Rei pilot Unit-01? Isn't that a little too risky?"

"We'll resort to whatever means necessary for us. There are still twelve more Angels to defeat." Fuyutsuki continued to stare out the window. "Only then, will we realise our goal…" Gendo finished.

* * *

Shinji stared ahead of him. He was sitting in a dull red train car. The train kept moving, never stopping. This was his train. When he needed comfort, he'd come here. 'I don't like piloting the Eva.' Shinji thought. 'It's expected that I do well… yet no one praises me for it. If I fail, everyone will hate me… or even worse… I could just die.' Shinji continued to stare in front of him as the train car moved. 'So why am I even here?' A Young Shinji was sitting on the seat in front of him. His bags from the day he was abandoned sitting next to him. 'I thought things would change. I thought that good things would happen. I didn't come here to be put through hell.'

"Is that really how you want to spend the rest of your life? Running away from anything unpleasant?" A fake Rei stated near the back of the train car. Shinji didn't look up.

'My life?' Shinji glanced down. 'Why am I alive anyway? I used to think my life wasn't my choice. No one needs me. Whether it's father, or Misato. If I'm not piloting the Eva, then there's no need for me. That's why I have no choice but to pilot the Eva. That's why I have to stay here. But, when I pilot the Eva…'

* * *

Shinji was silently resting on the bed he was placed on. Silence reigned. The door opening, or the movement of a trolley woke the boy. Rei pushed the trolley inside, stopping at the boy's bedside. The sudden stop of movement woke Shinji up, turning his head slightly, he took in the sight of the girl in front of him.

"Ayanami…"

"Pilot Ikari." Rei replied, in her usual monotone voice. "I am here to brief you on the timetable of Operation Yashima, which will begin tomorrow at 0 hours." Rei reached into the pocket of her school uniform, pulling out a small book. "Pilots Ikari and Ayanami will arrive at the cage at 17:30. At 18:00, Unit-01 and Unit-00 will activate. At 18:05, Unit-01 and Unit-00 will launch. They will arrive at a temporary base on Mt. Futago at 18:30. There, they will stand by and await orders. The operation will begin promptly at midnight." Rei put the book away, before reaching into the trolley, throwing a new plugsuit at Shinji. "Here, this is a new one." Shinji sighed, sitting up in bed. Rei continued to stare, not caring. "Don't show up looking half-asleep, or like that, Pilot Ikari." Shinji stared at the girl a moment, before noticing the sheet hadn't really covered him up very well. He yelped, covering himself quickly, his face red with embarrassment.

_\- Music from Evangelion 1.0 – Track 12 – Cruel Dilemme II -_

"Sorry." Shinji said quietly. Rei was not perturbed. "All I've been doing since yesterday is apologise." Shinji glanced over at the trolley, where some basic food sat on a tray.

"Your meal." Rei simply said. Shinji turned back to the bed.

"I don't want to eat anything."

"We will be departing in sixty minutes." Rei replied.

"Do I have to pilot that thing again?"

"Yes, you do."

"I don't want to, though." Shinji replied, stuffing his face in the sheets. "Maybe you can be so cool about it, but… you haven't had the experiences that I've had. I don't want to go through that again."

"Then you can just stay in bed."

"Stay here? What do you mean?" Shinji replied, glancing up at Rei.

"I'll pilot Unit-01. Dr. Akagi is already prepared to rewrite Unit-01's personal data files."

"Ritsuko is…" Shinji replied, disbelief in his voice.

"I'm leaving now. Captain Katsuragi and Dr. Akagi will be waiting at the cage." Rei said, before turning and walking back towards the exit.

"Hey, Rei!" Shinji called after her, an attempt to get her to come back.

"Goodbye." Rei said, before the door shut behind her.

_\- End –_

**つづく**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end of Chapter 12. Next chapter? Operation Yashima occurs and Ramiel receives a proper fight. There won't be much in terms of Sachiel and Shamshel banter until after Episode 6 is finished, as they weren't really required here. They were busy waiting for news on Shinji at the apartment. Next chapter will also most likely be a big one, so until then… Ciao!
> 
> Changes:
> 
> The scene with SEELE at the beginning is brand new. As I haven't introduced SEELE yet. (The Human Instrumentality Committee is not all of SEELE, only a few members.)  
The obvious one. Ramiel is based on Rebuild and Shinji nearly dies in his initial attack.  
A scene in Shinji's mind after he's nearly killed, showing a bit of his life before Tokyo-3.  
The initial planning scene is a mixture of NGE and 1.0.  
Fuyutsuki's and Gendo's conversation about the Dummy Plug is from 1.0.  
Shinji's train car hell before he wakes up from 1.0.


	13. Operation Yashima

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Operation Yashima is in final stages of preparation. Misato finds Shinji, convincing him to pilot the Eva again for his friends. Shinji and Rei have some bonding time, before the battle begins. In battle, Shinji connects, but the Angel doesn't die. In retaliation, the mountainside is taken out. In a final moment of horror, Shinji attacks again, taking out the Angel. Shinji gets Rei to smile after some choice words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not going to say much here, let's finish this opening arc!

**August 9** **th** **, 2015**

"Come on Kensuke, we've been out here too long, let's get to the shelter." Hikari commented from the rooftop of the Tokyo-3 High School. Near her, Toji stood, feelings similar to her own. Kensuke however, was busy with his camera. He'd told them earlier that day that the Evangelions were coming out tonight, and that there was going to be more than one. Kensuke was extremely excited, Toji and Hikari, not so much.

"No way!" Kensuke exclaimed as he leaned against the railing, camera trained and ready to go. "I hacked into my dad's data files for this! This is the time that they should be coming out." Toji rolled his eyes at Kensuke's enthusiasm, not understanding why the boy loved these machines so much.

"Okay then," Toji replied, "Where are they?"

The sounds of whirring machinery from their right drew them away from their conversation. The mountainside was currently shifting, an entire segment moving out of place.

"The mountainside is moving!" Toji noticed, Kensuke was currently rocking on the heels of his feet, Hikari watching intently, but not overdoing it. Her job as Class Rep told her to keep things quiet when necessary, and this was one of those times.

"That's them!" Kensuke stated, "The Evangelions!"

The whirring continued, as the entry way was opened up. Suddenly, the familiar purple shoulder pylons of Evangelion Unit-01 could be seen as it was shifted into place. Not far behind, the orange behemoth known as Evangelion Unit-00 settled into place to its left.

"Totally awesome!" Kensuke exclaimed from his position on the rooftop, Toji having to hold him back in case the boy fell from the height. Hikari sighed as Unit-01 and Unit-00 started on their journey towards their destination.

"Come on guys, we need to go now."

"But Class Rep!"

"Now, Aida!"

* * *

**8:11pm**

_\- Neon Genesis Evangelion OST II – Track 12 – Spending Time in Preparation -_

The roads on the path towards Mt. Futago were filled to the brim with both maintenance trucks and power generators littered along the main road. This continued all the way up the mountain, with no changes.

"The Angel has penetrated defence layer 17! It will reach NERV HQ in 3 hours, 55 minutes."

"Power supply transfer from Shikoku and Kyushu is completed."

"Beginning tests of each cooling system."

Near the top of the mountain, operations were in full effect as preparations for the attack against Ramiel progressed. Ritsuko stood by, Maya as always by her side, overseeing the transfer of the Positron Rifle by Unit-00.

"Be careful! This is a piece of precision machinery!" Ritsuko commented in her usual commanding tone.

Sachiel and Shamshel stood watching as the Positron Rifle sat in its position, being Angels they couldn't really do much with their faces, but they were concerned. Very concerned.

"Well, if that thing is powerful enough, it will kill Ramiel." Sachiel commented, Shamshel simply nodding. Neither Angel had decided to say much, both thinking that NERV's plan to take down Ramiel was an effective one. The only thing now was to actually man the rifle and destroy the Fifth Angel.

"This thing wasn't built for large scale things like this, wasn't it?" Shamshel commented idly. "Will it really work?"

"Point taken." Ritsuko replied, "There's no choice in the matter. This is the most effective solution."

"So, this thing should be able to take down my sister?" Shamshel asked, the Angel floating in place, its many legs wiggling widely.

"Theoretically, yes." Ritsuko replied. "However, we don't know if the cannon barrel or accelerator will hold until we try firing it."

"Helpful." Shamshel commented.

"To put it simply," Maya said, "The attack on the Angel will be the first time its fired at such a high power output."

"Ramiel, you lucky bastard." Sachiel said, anger over how powerful his sister was going through his head.

Hyuga frowned as he wondered over, concern about the operation written across not just his face, but everyone else's. "So, this is the Positron Cannon?"

"I know it's a hasty construction job." Ritsuko commented, but it should work.

"We'll be forcibly linking the zero-one control to Unit-01 using the Type-G Equipment."

"Well, the rest is up to you." Hyuga stated, with a small smirk in Ritsuko's direction.

"If we could only say the same about our pilot." Ritsuko replied. "Let's just Misato knows what she's doing."

_– End -_

* * *

Misato knew she would find Shinji standing alone, on a balcony near the NERV Hospital. Walking slowly towards the boy, she tried to speak to him. "I thought I'd find you here, why haven't you reported in yet." Shinji didn't reply. "Listen, you chose to stay here, didn't you? You made up your own mind to be a part of this. You need to do your job properly."

"I'm afraid." Shinji replied, his voice monotone. "You and the others. You have nothing to be afraid of. You're always just giving orders, safe underground. Meanwhile, I'm the only one in any real danger. The only one experiencing this first hand." Shinji turned around suddenly, anger in his eyes. "You wanna tell me how that's fair!" Misato sighed, stepping into place beside Shinji, staring out over the horizon.

"Fifteen years ago…" She started a frown on her face. "Half of humanity died in the events of the Second Impact. If we allow the Angels to start a Third Impact, the human race will die out. No one will survive. Not one soul."

"I know all this." Shinji replied, not looking at Misato. "I've heard it countless times."

"That's why we are fighting the Angels. To prevent a Third Impact. Even if we have to sacrifice our own lives to do it. Everyone who works here understands and accepts that risk. In other words, entrusting you with the Eva is entrusting with our lives. The entirety of humanity."

"Why me? It's so much to ask. There has to be a reason."

"There is no reason." Misato replied. "Fate chose you, that's all. However, I want you to understand that you're not the only one putting your life on the line Shinji. We're all in this together."

"Alright… I'll try… I'll pilot the Eva…" Throughout the conversation, Misato had taken Shinji's hand in an attempt at comfort. It worked, as Shinji finished the gesture, wrapping his fingers around her hand.

* * *

_– Music from Evangelion 1.0 – Track 18 – The Longest Day III -_

Misato stood at command, Shinji and Rei standing close by, hearing final instructions.

"Listen up, here are your individual duties for the operation." Misato said, her tone holding an air of authority that was usually lost to the homeliness of the apartment. "Shinji…"

"Yes?"

"Unit-01 will be the gunner."

"Right."

"Rei?"

"Yes."

"You will provide cover using Unit-00."

"Yes."

"The reason this is being done," Ritsuko said, walking onto the main attack deck, "Is because Shinji has the highest sync ratio, especially with Unit-01, and this operation will require exceptional precision. Since the Positron Beam will be influenced by Earth's gravity, magnetic fields, and rotation, the beam will not fire in a straight line. You must remember to make adjustments for these deviations. You must penetrate the core precisely."

"But Ritsuko, I've never practiced this!" Shinji replied, concern written across his face.

"Don't worry about it." Ritsuko replied, knowing the boy would be scared considering his training with weapons previously. "Just do what the manual says. As soon as the indicators in the centre converge, pull the trigger. The computers will handle the rest. Also, once you fire it, you will have to wait for the Unit to cool down again before taking another shot. You've got to hit it the first time."

"What if I miss?" Shinji replied, "What if the Angel fires back?."

"Hope Ramiel doesn't kill you." Shamshel honestly replied.

"Shamshel." Ritsuko replied sternly. The Angel hung its head slightly, knowing his comment didn't help much. "Shinji, don't think about unnecessary things like that right now. Just focus on destroying it in one shot."

"So, I have no choice?" Shinji commented to himself. Thoughts plaguing his mind all over again. 'I don't want to die!' Repeating like a mantra in his brain.

"I…" Shinji turned shocked, he'd completely forgotten about Rei. The girl was so quiet, it was a miracle if the First Child ever spoke up. "I am just to protect Unit-01. Correct?"

"That's right, Rei." Ritsuko said.

"Understood."

"It's time." Misato said, "Both of you, go get changed."

"Right." Shinji and Rei replied in unison.

_– End –_

* * *

Shinji had thrown his clothes to the ground and gotten changed quickly, the Plugsuit sitting loosely around his body. Hitting the button on his wrist, the Plugsuit pressurising into place on his body. Shinji glanced at the small screen protecting both his own, and Rei's modesty. While he couldn't see her, he could see her shadow, which didn't really help much.

Rei had thrown he own clothes to the ground, albeit, in a much messier fashion than Shinji, who preferred to fold his clothes for appearances sake. Progressing slowly, Rei grabbed her white Plugsuit and prepared to put it on. She stopped briefly when Shinji's voice came to her.

"Rei, you know we might die doing this."

"Why would you say that?" Rei replied as she pulled her Plugsuit onto her body. She rummaged around for a moment, before pressurising the suit just like Shinji had. It fit onto her thin form, as it had been designed to do. "You won't die." She said, "I'll be protecting you."

* * *

_\- Neon Genesis Evangelion OST II – Track 4 – A Crystalline Night Sky –  
_ _\- Music from Evangelion 1.0 – Track 19 – Danse des Lucioles –_

Shinji and Rei watched as the entire city started to power down. The once bright and shining lights shutting off, leaving the city in darkness. Across the entirety of Japan, every single piece of electricity was taken, leaving the entire country in complete darkness. If anyone was looking at the Earth as a whole right now, the country of Japan would hardly be seen against the light protruding from the other regions.

Shinji and Rei sat beside the large visage of their Eva's. Watching the starry night sky in the distance. Thoughts ran through both their heads, as the weight of what they were about to do was settling in.

_– End –_

"Ayanami," Shinji suddenly asked, Rei made no indication of answering, as she always did. "Why do you pilot the Eva?"

Rei stared ahead for a moment, contemplating an answer. Something she found, that she rarely did. "Because I'm bound to it." Rei replied, having decided on an answer.

"Bound?" Shinji asked in complete confusion. The him, the girl was spouting nonsense. He didn't understand the meaning behind her answer at all, and felt she was just saying something so that he'd stop talking to her. It was difficult for Shinji, as he wanted to make a good impression. He wanted this girl to be his friend. Unfortunately, due to the fates not aligning, Shinji had properly met Rei while she was nude after having a shower. A situation that he was rather embarrassed by, and knew she hadn't forgotten about, even if she didn't show it.

"Yes," Rei replied, her arms wrapped around her legs currently brought against her chest. "It's a bond."

"Do you mean… with my father?" Shinji replied, turning back to glance at the night sky. Anything, anything to keep his mind of off their first encounter. 'The Plugsuit doesn't help.' Shinji thought to himself quietly.

"To all people." Rei replied.

"You're… very strong, Ayanami."

"I have nothing else."

"I guess… I'm the same way…" Shinji replied, turning back to the girl, pushing his thoughts out of his mind for the moment. "I was totally apathetic… I hated everything. I just didn't care. But I put up a quiet front, being the good little boy. I guess I was just going through the motions of living."

Rei didn't respond immediately. Instead she got up, her bones cracking as she stood. "It's time. Let's go." She simply said. Staring at the moon, sitting full in the sky behind her. Rei said one last thing. "Goodbye." Shinji stared at her the entire time. Not understanding what she meant.

* * *

**August 10** **th** **, 2015**

"Countdown to 00:00 hours is approaching. All units are in position. Operation is ready to begin." A voice said over the intercom to everybody listening. Operation Yashima was about to begin. Ramiel continued to burrow towards NERV HQ in the distance, all the while emitting it's hum for the world to hear. There was silence as the second ticked down to midnight, the chime of the hour signifying the start of operation.

"Here we go." Makoto noted as the day switched over.

"Shinji, look." Misato started to say to him, as he sat in the Entry Plug, ready to take down Ramiel. Sachiel and Shamshel hovered in silence for once. "You chose to pilot Unit-01. If only for that I'm grateful. Even for trying. Thank you."

_– Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I – Track 16 – Decisive Battle –  
_ _\- Music from Evangelion 1.0 – Track 20 – Battaille Décisive –_

"Commence Operation Yashima!" Misato commanded at once. "Prepare to fire the Positron Cannon! Initiate Stage One Connections!"

"Roger." Makoto replied, "All regions switching circuits in primary and secondary substations."

"Deploying all switches. Beginning power connect."

"All stations holding at maximum." Came the call over the phone. "0.7 to max power limit."

"No problems in the power supply system." Came another report.

"Frequency modulation capacity at 6.5 million watts."

"No irregularities in any of the inverters."

"Stage One breaker systems operating optimally."

"Districts 1 through 803. All power lines open."

"Voltage is stable. System frequency maintaining at 50 hertz."

"Initiate Stage Two Connections!" Misato commanded once again.

"Shingotenma transformer, open!"

"Following that, the Shinyugawara extra transformer will open."

"Voltage modulation within safety range."

"Initiate Stage Three Connections!" Came Misato's voice through Central Dogma.

"Roger. Routing all power to the Futagoyama transformer." Gendo and Fuyutsuki watched from their location high above Central Dogma. Gendo's hands folded in front of his face. Fuyutsuki with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Maintain maximum allowed power transmission strength."

"All cooling systems operating at full capacity."

"Superconductive transformer coming online."

"Indicator confirming no abnormalities."

"No problems detected with Stage Three Connections." Makoto commented as everything came through fine.

"Then we're ready." Misato replied, "Inform barricades 4 and 5 to proceed according to plan. Order all observation planes to pull out."

Across the mountainside, small planes were busy taking their leave as the Angel Intercept Systems started to activate and send volleys of missiles and weaponry towards Ramiel. Ramiel responded, she shifted once again, sending itself into a swirl of shapes, creating a shield around itself. Charging up again, it let loose its particle beam, swinging it around. Every single missile was destroyed. Not a single one hit Ramiel. With one final ounce of power, Ramiel sent a beam towards the mountain, destroying them with little effort.

"No. 3 ground system vaporised!" Makoto stated in shock.

"All according to plan." Misato reassured him, "It'll notice us, that's our plan. Send the next volley!"

Miles away, cannons started firing relentlessly at Ramiel. Shifting once again, the Angel took on a simple prism shape, using it's A.T. Field to deflect all the shots with no effort. Shifting once again, it turned into a cannon of its own, sending a particle beam towards the cannons. They didn't stand a chance.

"No. 2 Turret battery has been hit!" In front of Misato, the AIS systems were getting vaporised by Ramiel's relentless beam. They were losing ground, and fast.

In the distance, more turrets started to fire on Ramiel. Despite the heavy artillery being fired at the Angel, not a single thing hit. Ramiel kept shifting shape, using it's A.T. Field to block the attacks, then simply retaliate using its Particle Beam.

"Status on the Positron Cannon!" Misato commanded.

"Positron Cannon charging. Currently at one terawatt."

"Compression density approaching firing threshold."

"Increasing power feed."

"Voltage conversion rate at 0.019 percent."

"Power dropoff is within acceptable range."

"Circuit breakers are operational. Recovery in progress."

"Stage 4 connections complete."

"Disable final cannon safety locks!" Misato called.

"Engaging Positron Cannon!" Hyuga relayed from the bunker. Unit-01 pulled the lever on the side of the large cannon, setting the fuse into place. From Unit-01's shoulder, a large scanner appeared, settling itself in front of Unit-01's eye. Inside the Entry Plug, a large helmet rested onto Shinji's face.

"Initiating final input of sniping parameters." Sachiel and Shamshel watched as Shinji prepared to fire on Ramiel.

"Compensation for Earth's rotation and gravity, plus 0.0009." Came Misato's voice in Shinji's ear. Watching intently through the helmet, the triangular shaped curser flittering across the screen in various ways, details on the cannon itself being shown in the corners of Shinji's vision. "Firing mechanism is automatically locking on." Came Misato's voice again as Shinji breathed heavily inside Unit-01's cockpit.

"Positron Cannon scope adjustment complete."

"Photons are currently accelerating. 0.2 to discharge… 0.1…"

"Stage 5! Activate final connection!" Misato ordered to the small amount of NERV personnel around her. The computers gave a visual indication of the energy moving from where it was stored to Unit-01 and the Positron Cannon itself.

"Route all energy to power discard system!" Hyuga noted as the Cannon continued to charge in Unit-01's hands.

"Plugs 1 through 9 ready for power influx."

"Final adjustments being made to positron acceleration chamber. No problems detected." Shinji didn't pay much mind to the words constantly being flung around him, he kept entirely focussed on the situation at hand. Ramiel was entirely in his view, still shifting shape to deflect the volley of fire being sent towards her. This brief moment gave Shinji a chance to think.

'I'm not prepared for this. Like Ayanami is.' The view that Shinji had suddenly turned greyscale, an indication of the power that the Positron Cannon had. It was ready to fire, he just needed a clear shot. 'I don't have any qualities that would help with piloting an Eva. So why? I'm just told what to do. And I do it without any reason. Now… now I'm… protecting humanity…? It's such a huge burden. I didn't even realise I was doing such a vital thing… So… why does it have to be me?'

"13… 12… 11…" Brought Shinji back to reality as a final countdown was given out. "10… 9… 8… 7…" All around Japan, everyone was hoping for Shinji to do this. The fate of humanity was at stake. "6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…" The curser hit Ramiel, and started blinking rapidly.

"Now! Fire!" Misato called, Shinji pulling the trigger at the exact same time. The energy came together all at once, creating a brilliant light show. Being shot from the Positron Cannon at intense speed, going straight towards Ramiel. Destroying everything in its path. Ramiel brought up her A.T. Field, but it did nothing. The Positron Beam went straight through, destroying Ramiel's A.T. Field like it was nothing. Impacting Ramiel's core directly.

_– End -_

With a massive cry, Ramiel started to splinter its shape in various ways, it's normal crystalline blue colour turning a dark black at the edges. With a final cry, Ramiel releases a large splash of blood. Raining down onto the ground below. Nothing was safe from Ramiel's blood, mountains and roads were washed over by the red substance.

"Did we get it!?" Misato asked, concern written across her face. They couldn't tell. The readings hadn't changed.

With a groan, Ramiel started to mend her wounds. Fixing itself back up from its rather large attack to its core. Shifting back to her base crystalline blue octahedron form. She was very angry.

"We missed!?" Misato cried in outrage.

"How!?" Hyuga replied in just as much outrage. "Our timing was perfect!"

A large whirring sound brought everyone back to Earth, as Maya watched in screen in horror. "It's charging! A high-order energy reading detected from the target!"

"Fuck!" Misato cried. "Everyone, brace for direct impact!"

Ramiel started to shift her form, a five point star, redoing it over and over again, each time getting bigger than it was before. With a final cry, Ramiel sent the supercharged beam directly towards Unit-01. The mountain where the operation was taking place was half-destroyed in the blast. Sending anyone in the immediate area flying. Unit-01 itself wasn't safe from the blast, being sent hurtling towards the ground.

Ramiel looked on. Satisfied.

_– Music from Evangelion 1.0 – Track 21 – Angel of Doom -_

Red warning alerts blared constantly in the small bunker. Misato groaned as she slowly got up, pain written across her face. "How's our power system?" She asked, he voice laced with just as much pain.

"It's still usable." Hyuga replied. "In fact, it's recharging as we speak."

"And the Positron Cannon?"

"Minor damage." Maya relayed. "Barrel cooling now in progress. We're unable to verify if we can take another shot."

"No time to verify anything. Let's do it." Misato stood up, taking command once again. "Shinji!? Are you alright!? Hurry, get Unit-01 back into a firing position!"

Outside, things weren't looking good. The Positron Cannon sat on the dark red ground, while Unit-01 sat a short distance away. Inside, Shinji was hugging his arms around himself, shaking in panic.

"Effective immediately," Came Gendo's voice from Central Dogma. "Unit-01's pilot is to be relieved of duty. Order Unit-00's pilot to take over sniping duties."

"Ikari!" Fuyutsuki replied in indignation.

"You heard me. We have but to cut him off. He is useless."

"Now please wait a moment!" Misato cried as she appeared in front of the commander on a view screen. "He could've run away but he didn't, he got in the Eva." Sachiel and Shamshel watched as Shinji's hand moved towards the control yoke. "He still chose to fight of his own volition. We should entrust this to him!" Shinji's hand grabbed the control yoke, he pulled himself up, an angry look in his eyes.

"Shinji." Came a voice in his subconscious. "Hang in there, okay."

"Do your best, Ikari."

"Don't back down, Shinji! Not under any circumstance!" The voices of his three friends brought him back to the world. Shinji knew what he was going to do.

Unit-01 moved. It got up from its sitting position and crawled towards the Positron Cannon. Shinji groaned as he did this, pain shooting through him.

"All I'm asking commander." Misato continued, "Is that you have some faith in your own son.

Unit-01 stood up, Positron Cannon in hand. Ready for a second attack.

"I already have put my faith in him. Why can't you?" Gendo didn't answer, and simply stared at Misato. She didn't need to know anything.

"I'll leave it to you." He finally said. "Do as you please."

"Thank you, Commander!"

Shinji sat in Unit-01's Entry Plug, determination on his face. "Shinji." Came Misato's voice.

"Yes."

"One more time. We're going to entrust you with all of Japan's energy. All of our hope. All of our future. All of our lives. Along with the lives of all living things on this planet. It's all in your hands now. Do your best."

"Right!" Shinji replied as he pulled himself up. He put the Positron Cannon in position, ready to fire again. Discarding the Type-G equipment used for earlier, Shinji switched the firing mode to manual, pulling the helmet over his head once again.

With a large cry, Ramiel breached the Geofront, her drill coming through the roof.

"Enemy drill has breached the Geofront! It's directly above NERV HQ!"

"Ready that second shot!" Misato called.

"Fuse exchanged! Barrel cooling complete!" Hyuga said as Ritsuko ran diagnostics in the background. When she was satisfied, she spoke.

"Final sniping data specifications complete. Data entered. Any further adjustments will be left to the pilot!"

Shinji focussed on Ramiel once again, waiting for the right moment to fire. Ramiel charged, her core glowing a bright red.

"The Angel is charging again!" Maya confirmed in anger.

"What!? Not now!"

Shinji gasped as the beam headed straight for him. He closed his eyes, hoping death would come quick. It didn't.

"Shinji!" Misato's concerned voice made him look up. Outside, Unit-00 stood with the shield, protecting Unit-01.

"Ayanami!" The shield took the entire brunt of the beam, quickly falling apart. Ritsuko noticed this, and spoke up quickly.

"That shield's not going to hold for very long!"

"Can we fire yet!?"

"20 seconds!" Hyuga replied in just as much desperation.

"Come on, hurry!" Shinji cried as he heard the sickening sounds of the Shield breaking apart once again. It was on its last legs. Unit-00 barely able to keep going, but held it's position as long it needed to. "Goddammit! Hurry up!" Shinji cried as everything lined up. With a final cry, he pulled the trigger. The Positron Cannon sending the beam directly into Ramiel's own. With a push of strength, Ramiel's beam broke, and Ramiel, defenceless, got hit directly in the core.

_– End -_

A plume of flame came from behind Ramiel as she abruptly shifted back into her base form. With a large deafening cry, Ramiel shifted rapidly as she turned black, before exploding in a shower of blood.

"Yes, he did it!"

NERV HQ was a red pyramid after the explosion occurred, the streets of Tokyo-3 as much of a red sea. Ramiel slowly decomposed, finally taking her final breath.

Unit-00 fell to the ground, a slightly melted heap. Shaking as it fell. Unit-01 dropped the Positron Cannon immediately, letting the large weapon clang against the ground. "Ayanami!" Shinji called as the dust settled. Heading towards Unit-00's downed form, he lifted the other Eva up. Pulling Unit-01's progressive knife, he started to twist around the back of the Eva Unit, near where the Entry Plug would be. The Entry Plug was freed, allowing Shinji to lower it to the ground with Unit-01.

Shinji quickly ejected from Unit-01. Running over to the Entry Plug, he started pulling at the handles, grunting through the burning on his hands. Shinji yanked the door open, sticking his head inside. "Rei!" Using her first name for the first time, Shinji glanced at the young girl hunched over inside the plug. "Are you alright!? Rei!"

_– Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I – Track 20 – Rei II –_

With a grunt, Rei glanced up. Shinji smiled as he saw her, a familial feeling washing over him. "Don't say things like, "I have nothing else."" Rei stared at Shinji blankly, not knowing what to do. "And don't, don't leave on something like "Farewell," as if we'll never meet again." Shinji started to cry as he hunched over. Rei sat up, moving slightly.

"Why are you crying?" She asked innocently. Shinji kept crying, causing Rei to look away in what seemed to be sadness. "I'm sorry. I guess… I don't what I should do at a time like this…"

Shinji looked at her again, a small smile on his face. "You could start by smiling." Rei turned quickly, staring right at Shinji. He kept smiling at her. She gathered her thoughts for a moment, and then, for the first time, gave a small smile. Smiling directly at her, Shinji held out his hand for the girl. She gratefully took it, and they walked outside, hand in hand.

Outside, they stared up at the sky. The full moon still looking down on them.

_– End -_

* * *

A boy with silvery hair woke up suddenly. With a large smile, he gently rose from his resting place on the moon. He stared straight ahead as he sat up. Talking for the first time. "I already know. If you're waking me, the child has awakened." Standing, he wasn't bothered by his nudity. Then again, no one else was on the moon, so it didn't bother anyone else either. "I guess the semmation stage has begun?"

"Correct." A voice came from a large monolith with the number 1 adorned on it. "The Apocrypha of the Dead Sea Scrolls have been fulfilled up to the Book of Law." The boy smiled as the voice continued. "The time of reckoning is approaching."

The boy turned, as the monolith disappeared. A large being was stationed nearby, machines feeding into it, preparing it for when it would be needed one day. "The Third has returned… You never change, don't you? I look forward to seeing you, Shinji Ikari."

**つづく**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy what a chapter! Episode 6 is done! Next couple chapters will be some filler stuff… for the most part. Chapter 15 will have a little bit of importance, as this story starts to move away from just being an adaptation of NGE, which we have already seen hints of. Of course, please Review, I love seeing all the little comments that come with Reviews! Until the 14th, Ciao!
> 
> Changes from Original Series:  
This entire chapter is basically the finale of Evangelion 1.0, I didn't really use the series at all here. (The reason for this is the original version of the final battle went something like this: Shinji and Ramiel fire at the same time at the first shot, causing the beams to warp and outright miss. Ramiel gathers her bearings quicker and fires a second time, Rei holds of the beam while Shinji waits for the beam to charge, then fires the second time, killing Ramiel. Having Shinji hit Ramiel the first time, but not kill her is far more interesting in my opinion.)  
Misato speaking to Shinji before the battle comes from Rebuild, altered to avoid a large reveal.  
Shinji and Rei's conversation before the battle begins has some slight Manga cues.  
Of course, the final scene comes from Evangelion 1.0, having not existed in the original series.


	14. Fumbling Towards Kindness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinji finds out Ramiel likes Tetris. Asuka works to prove herself and get better, fighting a simulation of Sachiel to raise her skills. Misato is promoted to Major while she wallows in pity due to paperwork. Shinji introduces the Angels to Toji, Hikari and Kensuke. Asuka waits out at sea. Both Shinji and Asuka discover something from their past they've long forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s time for some filler comedy type stuff! (It is obvious I don’t have much idea of what to put in these Author’s Notes…) So, enjoy Shinji doing stuff with the Angels I guess…
> 
> One more thing: I have decided to open this Universe I’ve created to other people who want to write for it! However, there are some conditions:  
1\. If you want to write for this universe, let me know first.  
2\. When you tell me that you want to write, give me an idea about what it is that you will write. If I feel it fits inside my Canon, then congrats! If I feel it doesn’t, then I’ll still let you write it, but it will be considered non-canon.  
3\. Note: I may consider something non-canon if it contradicts something I have planned for later down the road.  
4\. Please try not to write anything too far ahead of the current chapter. I’m writing this story for a reason.  
So, there you go! This Universe is now open to you. Feel free to test writing skills with this! I’m intrigued to read some of what you guys can come up with.

_– Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I – Track 8 – Misato –_

**August 11** **th** **, 2015**

Shinji stared. He didn't know what to think. Ever since Ramiel had been defeated early the previous morning, she had simply sat there, in her octahedron form, staring.

"Does he always do this?" Shinji asked, his eyesight not moving from the crystalline Angel at all.

"She." Sachiel corrected. "And yeah, she does."

"She's a man of few words Ramiel." Shamshel said, indicating to Ramiel's form. "Says a grand total of three things: Yes, No and Tetris."

"Why, Tetris?" Shinji asked, really concerned about the Angel that had almost killed him mere hours before.

"We don't know honestly." Sachiel replied. "It's just something she does I guess?" Shinji nodded as Ramiel flew towards him, the first time she had done so since she arrived.

"Yes." She said as she floated in front of him. Shinji looked to Sachiel, wondering what she meant.

"She's agreeing with what we're saying."

"Yes."

"Fair enough." Shinji replied, turning back to the TV after the episode regarding Ramiel. The small group watched TV for a while, some show about a 10-year-old kid with small monsters at his disposal, he found it boring, hilariously for a show that called itself Best Wishes, he was left with one wish. For it to stop.

When the episode finished, Shinji got up, heading into the kitchen to make himself something, Misato had been absent, taking care of both clean-up, and documents regarding Ramiel's recent attack on the city. Being a member of NERV both had it pros and cons. Because of this, Misato wouldn't be home for the rest of the day, or the next, so Shinji was left on his own with the Angels.

"No." Ramiel said, floating into the room. Shinji turned to Shamshel, relaxing at the table, an eyebrow raised.

"What's she saying?"

"She doesn't want that." Shinji stared at Ramiel, who simply stared back. Or at least, would've been, had she had eyes.

"So, what does she want?"

"I don't know." Shinji frowned at Shamshel, turning to Ramiel expectantly, he headed towards the fridge, to find something for the Angel, when she said one word.

"Tetris."

"Okay, I'm confused." Shinji replied, defeated.

"She wants Tetris obviously."

"I don't have that, Sachiel!" Shinji replied, exasperated.

"Then get it." Sachiel replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Can't do that." Shinji replied as he returned to cooking, he could at least serve three of them. Ramiel would just have to make do with what he cooked.

"Why not?"

"Don't have any money."

"Then ask."

"It's not that simple." Shinji replied, knowing that he'd have to get both the game, and a system to play it on. As he continued cooking an idea struck him. "Hey, Ramiel!" Ramiel floated into the room, calm as ever.

"Yes."

"I have an idea." Indicating for Ramiel to follow, Shinji led the Angel towards his room, where both his school issued, and NERV issued laptops sat. Grabbing the NERV one, he opened an instance of the internet, searching for Tetris. Finding what he wanted, he sat it in front of Ramiel, who lit up instantly at the sight.

"Tetris!"

"There you go. Have fun, I guess…" Shinji exited the room and returned to the kitchen. Quickly finishing up his meal, he served himself and the remaining two Angels, and they set to eating. Their meal went pleasantly, until a large cry split through the house.

"TEEEEEEEEEETRIIIIIIIIIIIS!"

"What just happened?" Shinji asked, his face indicating that he probably didn't want to know.

"You don't want to know." Sachiel and Shamshel replied in unison, returning to their meal. Understanding what they meant, Shinji blushed, ducking his head to quickly finish eating.

_– End –_

* * *

**August 1** **st** **, 2015**

The Second Child, Asuka Langley Soryu, was many things. The most popular girl in school for instance, with her lithe form attracting many of the male population at her school, her blue eyes contrasting against her fiery red hair. Asuka was, and was always going to be in her eyes, the most popular, number one if you will. While this may have turned off virtually anyone else, Asuka loved the attention.

That didn't mean it got annoying though. While she enjoyed the attention immensely, the significant amount of love letters that she got on a daily basis pissed her off, and if anyone knew of her high anger streak, then no one would want to be with her.

'All men are idiots!' She thought to herself as she crushed another set of love letters underneath her foot, a common occurrence. Asuka prided herself, being an Evangelion pilot only raised her pride even more. In her opinion, being the pilot of the world's first Production Model Evangelion was an absolute honour. And yet again, raised her pride to the max. 'Well, except Kaji!' She blushed as she quickly grabbed her stuff, setting off towards NERV-3 Berlin.

* * *

On arrival at NERV-3 Asuka quickly hurried to the dressing rooms. Taking out her red Plugsuit, she quickly changed into it, wanting to get into her Unit-02 as quickly as possible, it relaxed her, made her feel much better after being ogled at for the entire day. As much as she enjoyed it, even she couldn't deny that it got annoying after a while. Once the Plugsuit was on and pressurised, she stepped out onto the bridge, heading towards her red Unit-02.

She waited as the usual procedures where performed, removal of the Entry Plug, settling it down on the ground beside her so she could get into it. Settling into the seat as the Plug sealed and was inserted into Unit-02. She smiled as the familiar feeling of LCL flooded the plug, she let the substance take hold, breathing for a moment to get used to the feeling. No matter how many times this occurred, Asuka always had to get used to the feeling of LCL in her lungs.

"Feeling good, Asuka?" The familiar voice of Ryoji Kaji echoed through the Entry Plug.

"Yes, Kaji!" Asuka replied in her usual cheery tone, reserved only for the older man.

"Alright, Asuka. The test will begin shortly. We'll simply be doing a synchronisation test, using the Eva as we need an update on the results with Unit-02 itself."

"Okay, Kaji!"

"Great, Asuka!" Kaji replied with his usual smirk. The line cut off, Asuka relaxing into the Entry Plug, letting herself go. She was the best. She would prove it.

* * *

Asuka smirked from her Entry Plug, she had a keen eye out as, at any moment, Sachiel could round the corner and spot her. It was because of this that Unit-02 sat behind a large building, the red Evangelion hiding to try and get a good shot in. As she waited, the thundering steps of Sachiel rang throughout the city.

She was determined, she always was. As soon as she'd heard that the Third Child had managed to defeat the Angel on his first attempt at piloting, she jumped on the simulations, working to improve as much as possible. She was going to be the best, she'd trained her whole life for this job, and no novice was going to take away her glory. So, when the simulations had obtained an extra mode, allowing her to fight the Angel that the Third had defeated. She went straight in guns blazing.

Unfortunately, she wasn't prepared to deal with an Angel the first battle, and proceeded to get curb stomped by Sachiel. After some choice, German swear words she had jumped back in. This time with a strategy in mind.

And this was where she was now, waiting for the Angel to get into a position so she could jump out from behind the building she was waiting behind, and unload an entire magazine of bullets into the creature. 'That thing won't be difficult to take out.' Asuka thought as she waited for the steps of Sachiel to come closer. 'If that novice pilot could take it out this should be a piece of cake. That earlier battle was a fluke. I am the best. And I will show Kaji just how great I really am!'

On cue, some large footsteps could be heard from the other side of the building, Asuka smirked, getting the red giant into position. Suddenly, Eva Unit-02 leapt into the air, unloading the entire magazine into the Angel. Sachiel turned, bringing up his A.T. Field, taking care of the bullets easily. Asuka frowned, throwing both weapons to the ground quickly, reaching for the shoulder pylon, now opened, her Progressive Knife on standby. Taking hold of it quickly, she ran at Sachiel. Intent on attacking at close range. Sachiel simply stood, waiting for her. "Alright, take this!" Asuka cried as she prepared herself for an attack, bringing up her Progressive Knife, ready to attack the core. "YAAAAAAAAAAA!" She cried as Sachiel's eyes flashed.

Unit-02 was sent flying, tumbling repeatedly backwards while Sachiel watched in satisfaction. Dust was sent up into the air between the two combatants, as Unit-02 slammed into the closest building, sending the Red Unit to the ground.

"_Scheisse! Das tut weh!_" Asuka cried out as Sachiel jumped across the field towards the currently downed Unit. Intent on taking it out for good. "Damn! You guys aren't a piece of cake after all." She frowned, slowly standing up. Eva Unit-02 stood ready in a defensive stance, prepared to defend against Sachiel, as the Angel flew through the air towards her. She wasn't prepared for the brunt of the attack, as Sachiel almost brought Unit-02 to its knees once again. This time however, Asuka was prepared.

Using the ground as leverage, Unit-02 used both its feet to push the Angel as far away as possible, before running away for a moment. Asuka needed to reorganise herself. She had clearly underestimated the Angel.

Taking a spot on a nearby hill, she watched the Angel as he stayed in the city. She'd expected this, especially since the city was an exact replica of Tokyo-3. The same city she would be arriving at in a months time. NERV HQ was also replicated in the simulations, and she had a hunch of sorts that the Angel was searching for something in the city itself, as throughout her entire battle, the Angel had never left the city limits.

"Asuka, what's happening in there?" The voice of Kaji came through on her call.

"Nothing Kaji!" Asuka replied enthusiastically. "Everything's fine!"

"If you say so Asuka…"

"Don't worry about me, Kaji!" Asuka replied, her tone not changing. "I have everything under control!"

"That's great, Asuka. But you need to focus! You'll be fighting these things yourself one day."

"I'll take care of the rest of them, Kaji! They don't need the First, or their new rookie pilot! They just need me, Asuka! Their ace pilot!"

"Alright, Asuka. Take care of the Angel, okay." Kaji signed off then, giving Asuka a moment to think. She studied her surroundings, noticing that she had the height advantage. Sachiel was wandering down in the city itself, not paying much attention to Unit-02 now that it was out of his way.

The sound of Unit-02's other shoulder pylon opening was heard, the arm of the beast pulling the Progressive Knife out. Unit-02 held its two Progressive Knifes together, ready to attack. Asuka smirked from the Entry Plug, knowing what she was going to do.

_\- Neon Genesis Evangelion OST III – Track 4 – Harbinger of Tragedy –_

With a cry of rage, Unit-02 jumped down the hill quickly, both Progressive Knifes held, ready to strike. Leaping high into the air, Unit-02 came down hard on Sachiel, knocking both Evangelion and Angel to the ground.

Sachiel's eye flashed again, attempting to destroy the Evangelion, but Asuka wasn't going to have it. Unit-02 punched Sachiel's face, cracking the frame of the Angel's mask. Unit-02 didn't let up on its attack, continually punching the Angel's mask, both Progressive Knives held firmly in her hands.

Letting back for a brief moment, Unit-02 shifted slightly, grabbing hold of both Progressive Knives and preparing for a final assault on the Angel's core. Sachiel screamed as the Knives penetrated the skin around the core, attacking him directly. Unit-02 continued to rip the Angel's skin apart, satisfaction in the Eva's eyes.

Feeling itself close to death, Sachiel flashed his eyes again. Asuka didn't expect it, and got sent flying in Unit-02. Sachiel stood and stared after the Red Eva, now a husk of what he formerly looked like, a majority of the Angel's skin removed in Asuka's assault.

Asuka cried out in outrage, and with a final attempt to kill Sachiel, threw her Progressive Knife towards the Angel's core, with the intent of taking the Angel out from a distance.

She was successful, as the Knife impacted Sachiel's core, running itself deep inside. Sachiel let out a final cry of pain, as he exploded into a bloodbath, staining the streets red with blood.

_– End –_

Asuka looked on, satisfied, as the world around her shifted back to a base grey area, the basic form of the Simulator. Ejecting, the Entry Plug washed away around her, the LCL draining in the process. She opened the Plug up, and stepped onto the sidewalk. She glanced over at the abomination of organs that was known as a Simulation Body, the Simulation Plug providing the same effect as a proper Entry Plug.

As she stared at the mess of organs, she smirked. 'That wasn't so bad.' She thought, as she stepped towards the change rooms, done for the day. 'Third, you don't know what you're up against.'

* * *

**August 11** **th** **, 2015**

Misato stared at the pile of papers in front of her. "This is my life now." She said as she stood to see over the top of the pile. "This sucks!" She cried out, there was paperwork for not only the Fourth Angel, who attacked five days before, but she wasn't able to get any of it done before the Fifth Angel had attacked mere days later, having to formulate a plan to kill the Angel with the threat of death over her head did not allow any time to do any of the paperwork.

Not only that, but there was also paperwork concerning the forthcoming Evangelion Unit-02 and its pilot, the Second Child, coming from Germany. Also, because of some miraculous turn of events, Evangelion Unit-03 in America was also apparently completed, and ready to be shipped as well. As such, the Over the Rainbow had set out earlier than scheduled, to collect the completed black Evangelion Unit. This was great and all, but Misato had not yet received an email from the Marduk Institute about a Fourth Child, if one did even exist.

'Although,' She thought as she continued to stare at the pile of work that had built up on her desk. 'Shinji, the Third Child, was chosen completely out of nowhere, and he was collected on the day that Sachiel attacked. Something's not right here.' Misato couldn't think much though, as her door was suddenly opened by a Dr. Akagi.

"Ritsuko?"

"Got some work I see, Misato."

"Yeah, Rits. Turns out that two Angels attacked within days of each other, and the collection process of an extra two Eva's causes the workload to pile up." She huffed, crossing her arms under her chest as she collapsed into her seat. "I wish I had a beer right now."

"I'm sure you do, Misato. However, that's not why I'm here." Misato glanced up at her friend, a questioning look crossing her face.

"Then…?" Ritsuko took a drag from her cigarette, before continuing.

"Commander Ikari wants to see you."

"Why? What would he need to see me for?"

"I don't know Misato. You do know that the Commander is quite an interesting man."

"I wouldn't exactly call the Commander interesting, Ritsuko." Ritsuko smirked slightly, before continuing.

"He wouldn't tell me why he needed you. Just that he needs you urgently. Besides, you can get away from this paperwork for a while." Misato gave Ritsuko the stink eye. As much fun as it was commanding the Pilots during battle, being the NERV Operations Director left a lot to be desired. One of those things, dealing with the paperwork that comes from the aftermath of the battle, as well as supervising the cleanup. "Better not keep him waiting, Misato." Ritsuko commented as Misato stood slowly and headed towards the door, grabbing her red coat along the way. Pushing past her friend, Misato headed towards the Commander's Office. She wasn't looking forward to this meeting.

* * *

Misato still found Commander Ikari's office, unnerving. The fact that the man decides that darkness is the best light for any situation would unnerve anybody. Add on the fact that she was currently being stared at by both Commander Ikari, his hands sitting in front of his face, hiding it from sight, and the slightly less intimidating Vice-Commander Fuyutsuki, added on lots of intimidation. It was unnerving. It always was.

"Captain Katsuragi." Gendo began, the usual stern yet commanding tone lighting up his voice.

"Yes, Commander?"

"We have spoken about your recent efforts against the Fifth Angel." Fuyutsuki said. "We commend you for your work against the Angel, keeping your cool under intense pressure such as that must've been daunting."

"It was, sir." Misato replied. She'd learned long ago that letting the Commander and Vice-Commander speak was the best course of action when taken to the Commander's Office.

"Due to your intense but successful job against the Fifth Angel. We have decided to reward you."

"A reward, sir?"

"Yes." Gendo replied. "We have taken a lot of considerable thought into this Captain, we wouldn't want you to let us down after this display of leadership and cooperation."

"Yes, sir."

"Good." Gendo replied, his hands not moving. "I trust that this reward will not make you slack on your duties, Captain? We are giving you a great honour here."

"Yes, sir."

"Well then, I suspect that we will continue to see good work from you, Major Katsuragi."

"Major? Sir?"

"Yes, Katsuragi. We have decided to promote you to Major. You will be given a higher pay, and a bit more access around NERV. However, if our decision has been wrong, then we will not hesitate to remove your rank of Major. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Commander."

"Good. Well then, Major Katsuragi, I believe there is some paperwork that you need to get to."

"Yes, sir." Misato replied, before quickly rushing from the room, one thought on her mind. 'What just happened?'

* * *

**August 12** **th** **, 2015**

School was out for the holidays after the rather interesting extra week that was added to the usual school calendar after Sachiel's attack on Tokyo-3 had caused a few days off for everyone around Tokyo-3. Shinji was now at home, wasting the afternoon away, waiting for his friends to arrive at Misato's apartment.

Shinji had decided (well, rather Sachiel had decided but that's not the point.) that his friends had better learn about the alien creatures that he somehow called his friends. Shinji laughed to himself. 'Ramiel would kill me if she heard me say that.' He thought, laughing at his own wit.

"You aren't that funny, Shinji!" Sachiel called out in his own laughter, causing the Third Child to blush in embarrassment.

"S-Shut Up, Sachiel!" Sachiel cackled again from the kitchen, causing Shamshel to look up from where he was sitting behind the local paper.

"You're not that funny either, Sachiel." Shamshel commented dryly, causing Sachiel to immediately rush into the room in a rage.

"I am funny!"

"No, you're not." Shamshel replied dryly. "I'm not dealing with this right now. I'm leaving." Shamshel flew out of the room, just narrowly missing Sachiel's hand come flying towards him.

"Hey! Come back here and fight like a man, Shamshel!" Sachiel called, flying after the Fourth Angel quickly, attempting to showcase his dominance.

Shinji sighed from where he sat, blindly looking around him. 'Well, that's not too weird. Not as weird as Ramiel… ugh.' Shinji shivered as he remembered that moment, finding Ramiel in his room, breathing heavily. It was obvious what the octahedral Angel had done, but just how she did it completely baffled Shinji. He knew that Angels and Humans had a very similar genetic makeup, but that was it. He couldn't understand how the Angels could do that same thing. Then again, Shinji had been brought up by his Aunt and Uncle, and he only really understood how he could do it, his Aunt and Uncle had made sure to make sure anything remotely sexual be banished from the house. For some reason.

Standing quietly, frowning at the sudden silence in the apartment that was surely a trap. He wandered slowly towards his room. Opening the door slowly, he stepped inside. Glancing around him, he couldn't figure out why he had come into the room. Nothing in the room screamed importance to him. Aside from his SDAT. Staring around him, he subconsciously headed towards the cupboard, were his usual amount of school uniforms hung. At the bottom of the cupboard sat a small box, inside of which held something that Shinji held extremely dear to his heart. A memory, of a person from long ago.

Bringing the box outside to the kitchen area, Shinji sat it on the table carefully. Heading towards the kitchen, he grabbed a pair of scissors to open the box for the first time since he received the gift long ago. Carefully slicing the packing tape open, he lifted the lid of the box off, revealing two packages inside. The bigger one, Shinji pulled out first. Looking over it, Shinji remembered receiving the gift, a bed of red hair the only part of the memory Shinji could recall. No face could come to his mind. It had been like this for years. Ever since he knew the girl stopped talking to him.

Opening the box carefully, he pulled out the contents, a few cables, an instruction manual of some sort, and a large brick. At least, that's what it looked like at first glance. Closer inspection would reveal that this brick was actually a handheld game console. A Game Boy Colour to be exact. The specialised Purple edition, that had a see-through case, letting Shinji see the mechanical components inside the small system. Putting the device down, he headed back to the box to grab the other package.

This package was a lot smaller than the other one. The box had some nice art on it, showing a massive plant-like creature on the front, sitting on a green background. The box art said: Pocket Monsters Green. Shinji carefully opened this box as well, letting another instruction manual fall out, and alongside it, a decently sized grey cartridge, which he assumed held the game.

For a moment, Shinji felt a pang of sadness. He remembered a set of words that someone had said to him. "When we meet again, we'll play these together, okay? We'll become the best like no one ever was!" He remembered a slight aggressive tone, but couldn't quite place the person.

Shinji placed them both back in the box. He felt that if he played the game, that he would be breaking a promise he made long ago. Moving the box slowly back to his room. He carefully set it down on the ground, back at the bottom of his cupboard. The red-haired girl came up in his mind again. He'd wondered for a long time who she was, but the years had made him forget. And most likely her as well.

Shinji was interrupted by a knock at the door of the apartment. Composing himself quickly, he exited the room. Sachiel's cries of, "They're here!" ringing throughout the apartment.

"Shut up, Sachiel!" Shinji scolded briefly, shooing all three Angels out of sight for a moment. 'Well, this should be interesting.' Shinji thought briefly, wondering just what he was doing introducing his friends to the things that had tried to kill them. 'Whatever. It's not like they're going to try killing them now.' Shinji thought, opening the door.

_\- Neon Genesis Evangelion S2 Works – Disc 2, Track 26 – C-3 (Relaxed and Heartwarming Day) –_

"Hey Shinji!"

"Hey, man!"

"Hey, Ikari!"

"Hi, guys!" Shinji exclaimed, he'd been happy to see his friends, who he hadn't seen in about a week. Sans Kensuke, due to their impromptu camping trip when he had run away. Stepping out of the way, Hikari, Toji and Kensuke entered the apartment.

Toji and Kensuke had already seen the apartment briefly when they had asked Misato about Shinji after the battle against Shamshel. Hikari however, looked around the small apartment in interest, having never been inside the place since becoming Shinji's friend when he first arrived in Tokyo-3.

"So, you wanted to show us something, Shin-man?" Toji asked, obviously interested in what Shinji had wanted to see them about.

"What?" Shinji replied. "Am I not allowed to just see my friends, Toji?" Toji stared back gobsmacked at Shinji backtalking him. Shinji blushed at what he just did, turning towards Hikari, who was wondering towards him.

"Come on, Shinji! There was actually a reason you called us here." Hikari stated.

"Okay, it's true. It was worth it to see Toji's face though." Toji stared at Shinji with wide eyes. Kensuke laughed at his friends face. Hikari giving a small giggle in response. At this, Toji blushed, stepping in the background. "Okay, come with me." Shinji called, indicating the three friends to follow him into the main sitting area. The three looked around them with varying expressions of happiness.

"Are you punking us, Shinji!?" Toji cried in outrage.

"Nope. Come out, guys." Shinji called, causing the three Angels hiding in the shadows to come into the light.

Silence followed. A long, awkward silence. Then…

"What the fuck!"

"Suzahara!"

"What, Class Rep!?" Hikari glared at the jock harder, making him wither under her intense gaze.

"Shinji."

"Yes, Kensuke?"

"Why do you have these things that tried to kill us in your house?"

"Well," Shinji started. "Turns out that when I killed the buggers, ("OI!") they stick around as mini versions of themselves. Turns out they have whole personalities and everything."

"Hi!" Sachiel stated, rushing forward, towards the stunned teenagers. "I'm Sachiel! The best Angel! And Shinji's main co-pilot!" He bragged, pressing a hand to his chest.

"Calm down, Sachiel." Shamshel commented, gently flying towards the trio. "My name's Shamshel, excuse my brother, Sachiel. He can be rather excitable about new things." He said, holding out one of his tentacles to shake. Hikari reluctantly took the Angels… hand, remembering that this one had tried to kill her, when she had gone to scold the two imbeciles she called friends. "This is Ramiel." Shamshel introuduced, bringing the Fifth Angel forward.

"Yes."

"Man of few words, huh?" Toji commented idly.

"No."

"What's that mean?" He asked, not knowing what the Angel was saying.

"I assume that means no, I am female." Shinji supplied, not really sure himself. Shamshel nodded at Shinji, confirming his suspicions.

"I must apologise. Both for myself and the idiots I call my siblings." Shamshel started, "Sachiel doesn't seem to understand the need to calm down after meeting someone new for the first time, and Ramiel is a woman of few words, being only Yes, No and Tetris… for some reason. We still haven't figured that one out."

"Tetris?" Kensuke asked, his glee not hidden in his voice.

"Don't. Ask." Shinji stated, horror coming across his face at the memory.

"Right." Hikari commented, not really understanding the meaning behind it.

"As for myself." Shamshel continued. "I apologise for almost killing you guys. You seem nice enough. Can we move past this?"

"Of course!"

"Calm down, Aida!"

"Sorry, Hikari…" Kensuke said, glancing down.

"Well, now that that's out of the way…" Shinji commented. "Anyone want anything to drink? Or an afternoon snack?"

"Yes!" Toji replied. "Food is the best part of any day!"

"Toji… You are such an idiot." Hikari muttered to herself in sadness. Shinji smiled sadly at her, before heading towards the kitchen. Staying behind, Kensuke made himself busy by talking happily with Sachiel about what the Eva's were like.

"Oh, they're great!" Sachiel said. "Turns out, that we can give them awesome new abilities to use! They feel… weird though."

"Awesome!"

"I like you kid!" Sachiel said, high fiving the bespectacled boy.

Toji sat in silence watching Shamshel. "Calm down, Ken." He called out.

"Calm down, Sachiel!" Shamshel said at the same time. The two turned to each other in surprise, Toji smirking slightly in response.

Ramiel flew towards Hikari. Ever since the younger girl had arrived, one thing had been bothering the octahedral Angel. Her hair. She had it done up in these two tail like things, and it was bothering the hell out of Ramiel.

"No." Ramiel stated, coming behind Hikari. Hikari glanced around in terror, but not one was helping her. Fearing the worst, she shut her eyes quickly, hoping the Angel would end things quickly.

Instead she felt a slight brush of something against her back. Opening her eyes, Ramiel floated in front of her, holding… somehow, her hair ties. She had removed her pig tails, letting her hair down. Glancing up, she blushed, not used to her hair being down.

"Yes." Ramiel said, before floating away, taking the hair ties with him.

"Wow… Hikari…" Toji muttered in surprise, a blush covering his own face.

"Yes, Toji?"

"You look… cute." Toji replied, like he wasn't sure what to say.

"Thanks." Hikari blushed furiously, ducking her head to avoid showing anyone. Inside, she was doing a happy dance. 'He finally noticed me!'

Shinji entered the room with a happy smile. Placing a tray filled with snacks, and dricks between them. With a smile, they dug in, chatting about anything and everything they could talk about as a group of four friends living in a defensive city.

_– End –_

* * *

Asuka stared out at the water. It calmed her. Somehow. She wasn't sure how, but it just did. She was on the Over the Rainbow, having just stopped in Massachusetts to pick up Evangelion Unit-03. 'It is a nice Eva.' She thought, as the waves against the side of the vessel calmed her. 'Not as good as my Unit-02 though!' She smirked as she ran along the deck, stopping to look at a smaller ship trailing behind them, a large tarp covering an obviously ginormous object. Her Unit-02.

She returned to her room. Desperate to get some rest. Having an absolute _arschloch_ as a captain would make anyone want some rest. 'I'm not some dumb child!' She thought as she flopped against the bed, her sundress fluttering around her. "Besides some idiots, this is a very nice trip. Especially because Kaji is here!" She squealed for a moment, stopping abruptly. "You idiot, Asuka! You are a woman, not some stupid girl!" She sighed, lying back against the wall. Despite her high achievements, Asuka was still a 13 year old girl. Nothing would change that.

Asuka walked towards the bathroom, stepping inside quickly. Locking the door behind her. She was alone in her room, however, she could never allow any pervert to come in, no matter what! So, she locked her bathroom anyway, even though there was no feasible way for anyone except the… captain… to get in her room. She shivered in disgust.

Stripping off her sundress, she stood in front of the mirror, looking over herself. Frowning, she muttered in disdain, "Why can't Kaji see me as a woman! Age is just a number! Is he… No, he can't be. He wouldn't already be in love with someone… Right…?" Frowning, she turned the shower on, stepping inside. As she stood under the water, letting it wash all her worries away, her thoughts turned to someone else. A brown-haired boy. Someone she couldn't remember.

'Who is he?' She thought as the water washed over her. 'I remember he was a friend. But that's it, I can't place a face, or a name!' Staring ahead, she angrily hit the wall. "Argh! Why can't I remember!?" She leaned against the wall, letting the water wash away her anger all over again.

After a while, she got out. Grabbing a towel to wrap around her lithe body, she proceeded to dry herself off, before stepping back into her room, quickly grabbing a set of clothes and putting them on.

She sat back down afterwards, thoughts of this boy still plaguing her mind. Something about him, was interesting to her. She just couldn't place it. Unconsciously, she headed towards her bag, grabbing it and digging inside for something very special. Hidden, at the very bottom of the bag, was two boxes.

The larger one she pulled out first. Opening it, she roughly let the contents fall onto the bed. 'Cords? For what exactly? A manual? I'm not dumb!' She thought. However, the last item of the box caught her eye. 'A red brick? Wait, it looks like there's a screen and buttons on the thing.' Grabbing the box, she glanced at the ripped packaging. 'Game Boy Colour.' As she stared at the box, something dawned on her. "I bought us these. One for me, and one for him. We were going to play together." Looking back at the box, nothing else was inside. "But what could we play? There's nothing else here."

Her eyesight returned to the bag in the corner of the room. Rushing back over, she dug around again, coming upon another package. This one was smaller than the other one, showing a large, dragon like creature on the front with a flame on its tail. All of this sitting on a red background. 'Pocket Monsters Red.' Sitting back down on the bed, she turned the box over in her hands, glancing at the back. "Green?" She muttered unconsciously, not noticing the effect holding these things was having on her.

'I'd bought these for me and my friend. I bought Red, and I bought him Green. We were going to play together. Just me and him.' The thought made her smile, even if it was only ever so slightly. Placing both boxes away in the bag, she turned away. 'I don't feel like playing that at all. I feel like I must play it with him. Or else, I'm breaking a promise." Settling back on the bed, Asuka prepared to go to sleep, a smile on her face.

"Asuka! Are you in there? I need to speak to you?" Asuka jumped up, heading towards the door quickly. Opening it, standing there, in his all his gruffness, was Ryoji Kaji.

"Kaji!"

"Hey, Asuka." He said with one of his signature smiles. "Can I come in?"

"Of course, Kaji! You don't have to ask!" Kaji sighed as she continued to fawn over him. As much as he liked the girl, he was too old. She needed someone her own age. "What do you need, Kaji?" Asuka asked curiously, wonder crossing her face.

"Asuka, I'm going to need to leave for a bit."

"What, why?"

"The Commander. He's tasked me with retrieving something for him, which unfortunately is over at Bethany Base. One of NERV's extra bases."

"You mean?"

"I have to leave, Asuka. But only for a little while, a couple weeks at least. I've got to deal with this. The Commander has asked." Kaji replied. 'Not to mention the Proto Child. She's an… interesting one.' He thought to himself, but he didn't need to tell Asuka that. She was competitive enough as it was.

"So, when do you leave?" Asuka asked sadly.

"As soon as possible, Asuka. I'm sorry, but I wanted to come tell you first."

"That's okay, Kaji. You will be back, right?"

"Of course, Asuka! I'll return before you arrive in Tokyo-3." Kaji replied, standing and heading for the door. "I'll see you soon, Asuka." Kaji finished, shutting the door behind him, leaving the girl alone in her room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that’s Chapter 14! This took a while to write. This chapter was simply a basic set of ideas that just kept growing. The whole Pokémon thing came to me when I was writing Shinji before his friends arrived, that will be very important in the long run, especially for Shinji and Asuka. Somehow, through all of this, I managed to get this chapter over 6,000 words. Somehow.
> 
> So, Shinji and Asuka know of a friend from their childhood, but don’t know who this friend is. This is very important for both, and will be resolved. Later. Much later.
> 
> Changes:  
More making Hikari more prominent because she didn’t get enough screentime in NGE or Rebuild.  
The first major changes! Misato is promoted to Major! 6 episodes early! This is to make Misato get another promotion later, as well as giving the Bridge Bunnies some much needed love later as well.  
Kaji is leaving for Bethany Base! The Proto Child is going to debut soon! Who is it? You’ll just have to wait and see. (Hint: 2.0)


	15. Unit-05

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaji arrives at Bethany Base, intent on finding something there. Shinji plans a party because of Misato's promotion, and successfully holds it. Misato finds out about Shinji's forgotten friend, and figures out who it is. The Proto Child launches Unit-05 in battle against the Nineteenth Angel, victorious, but Unit-05 is destroyed in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! Chapter 15 is here, and we're going to progress the actual story here as hinted at the end of Chapter 14. Without further ado…

**August 13th, 2015**

The jet hovered quickly towards NERV's Bethany Base, sitting quietly on the sea, where the Old North Pole once sat. Kaji glanced outside, his mission was simple, Bethany Base held an important item for Commander Ikari, and he needed to get it, and get out. He'd been told that there was an interesting project happening on the site, and that this project was for naught.

Landing quickly, through an opened hatch on top of the small base, the door opened, and Kaji stepped out, raising his hand to shake with the on-site Commander, Minato Maeda.

"Ryoji Kaji." The man said, stepping forward. "Welcome to our base."

"Thank you for the hospitality Commander." Kaji replied, smooth as ever.

"It's a pleasure." The Commander replied, shaking Kaji's hand. Kaji smiled, as the Commander led him out of the main hangar, into the depths of the Base itself. He would wait until this small tour was over, before trying to find what he was looking for.

For now, though, Kaji followed Commander Maeda as he led Kaji through the hallways of Bethany Base.

"It's great that you're here, Mr. Kaji."

"Please," Kaji interrupted, holding a hand up. "Just call me Kaji."

"Not a fan of Ryoji?"

"It's not something I usually go by, no."

"Well then, Kaji, shall I take you to this location?"

"Please, Maeda, don't think my being here is anything to stop what you're researching."

"That's the thing." Maeda replied, swiping a key card at a door, stepping inside. "We found this in the oceans around here, soon after reports of an Angel attacking Tokyo-3 came through." Kaji glanced up, where, sitting inside of the room, was a large Skeleton-like thing, undoubtedly an Angel.

"So, this is the Sixth Angel?" Kaji asked, knowing of two more Angels attacking Tokyo-3 since he'd left for NERV HQ with Asuka.

"No." Maeda replied, confusion clouding his features. "We sent the data to NERV HQ to analyse. It's definitely an Angel, but not the Sixth."

"Excuse me?" Kaji asked, wondering how it couldn't be the Sixth.

"The report we got back indicated the being as the Nineteenth Angel." Maeda said, wondering himself as to why the Angel hadn't been designated the Sixth, or in reality, the Fourth, as the data was sent to NERV HQ once the Angel had been found.

"The Nineteenth?" Kaji replied, confusion settling into his features. "Shouldn't it be the Fourth? If it was found after the Third?"

"That's what we thought too. But the report said otherwise."

"Strange." Kaji simply commented, in his head however, thoughts were rushing past.

"Come." Maeda stated, stepping further into the facility, Kaji followed behind, curious.

Both men stepped into a small room, Maeda flicked on the light, allowing the room to come into focus.

"What is this?" Kaji stated, staring at the thing in wonder.

"This is what Bethany Base was made for." Maeda replied, indicating to the being. "Wonderful, isn't it?"

"Sure." Kaji replied, noticing the rather strange use of cables sitting high above. 'This thing won't work.' He thought, turning back to Maeda. "Well, Commander. It's been a pleasure, but I will retire." Kaji stated, heading out of the room, with a brief wave of his hand.

Heading in the direction of the staff quarters, Kaji suddenly turned, heading down a brief passage. Pulling out his own Pistol, he quietly headed towards a secured room, the entire time, thoughts about the fact that there was a Nineteenth Angel haunting him. 'There was only Seventeen Angels. That's what the Dead Sea Scrolls stated. That's what Commander Ikari told me.' Pulling out a small device, he placed it on the scanner, letting the device do its thing, he quickly pushed open the now unlocked door and snuck inside.

There were boxes everywhere, but one thing was for sure, the light at the back of the room was hiding something. Quietly sneaking through the area, he kept a look out for anybody who could be in here. Arriving at the light, he glanced down at the table. Sitting in a box, was what he had come for. Sitting in a small cube, was a small being, largely red, growing, with one large eye staring right at him. Closing the box, Kaji grabbed it. A smirk on his face. "Well Commander. This is certainly interesting. Yes, indeed." Turning and quickly leaving, the locked the door with the device again, before leaving towards the staff quarters. As if nothing had happened.

* * *

"Misato! I'm going out!" Shinji called out, standing at the door. Nearby where Toji, Hikari and Kensuke, waiting anxiously.

"Alright, Shinji!" Misato replied from her place on the couch. After the battle against Ramiel, and she had finished all her paperwork. She and Ritsuko had decided against going back to NERV HQ for a day. So, she was relaxing before she was inevitably called back in to work again.

"See you later, Misato!" Shinji replied, heading outside.

"Shinji! Can you get me some beer on the way home?" Misato asked innocently as Shinji shut the door, annoyance crossing his features.

"She's amazing!" Toji said as he stared at Shinji. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Live with such a beautiful babe of course!"

"Toji, you're an idiot." Hikari stated as she set out for the local supermarket. The group had found out about Misato's promotion to Major, (Which she had tried, very hard to keep a secret), and had planned to throw her a surprise party on her promotion. The group was going to get some food, which Shinji and Hikari would prepare for the party. Toji and Kensuke were coming along to hang out with Shinji, (and in the case of Toji, hang out with Hikari, not that he would tell anyone).

The group walked quietly, some small conversation passing between them as they walked. They quickly arrived at the local supermarket, where Shinji and Hikari immediately began commanding Toji and Kensuke around the store. They protested for a moment, but when Hikari began to pull them by the ear they started listening.

Shinji smiled as he watched his friends, it brought a smile to his face and made him feel truly at home. Continuing his own search, he ran into someone when he wasn't watching, falling to the ground briefly.

"Ikari." Shinji glanced up, standing in front of him was Rei Ayanami, wearing her usual school uniform.

"Rei." Rei stared at Shinji blankly, no emotion crossing her face. "I needed to speak to you."

"So, speak." Shinji stared, Rei was strange, he'd already figured that out. He figured she needed some people around her to break out of her shell that she seemed to have created around herself.

"Um… well Misato got promoted, and we're holding a party to celebrate. I'd like you to come." Shinji stuttered through his speech, still embarrassed by the episode that took place in her apartment nearly a week ago.

"That sounds nice." Rei replied. "I will be there, Ikari." She replied, before leaving quietly. Shinji stared after her.

'Just what happened to her.' He thought before pushing the thought out of his head, continuing on with his mission. 'That's something Kensuke would call this.' Shinji thought bluntly as he headed towards the front of the store, having found everything he needed for the party the next day.

"Hikari!" He heard the cry of Toji as Hikari walked into sight, pulling Toji along by the ear, Kensuke following obediently behind. Shinji laughed as they came into sight, revelling in the fact that he was spending time with his friends.

"Next time, Suzahara, you will listen to what I'm telling you to do! Understood!"

"Yes, Hikari!"

"And you will do it without asking any questions!"

"Yes, Hikari!"

"Do you think that she understands that what she's saying can be taken out of context." Kensuke asked Shinji, who laughed at the other boys comment.

"No. I don't think she does." Shinji replied. "To anyone else, if sounds like a married couples quarrel." Kensuke laughed as Shinji decided to mess with the two arguing teens. "Hey!" They didn't turn to him. "Stop quarrelling like a married couple!" Shinji grinned as Toji and Hikari both turned to him, glaring at the boy standing before them.

"I'll get you back for this, Ikari." Toji stated as a blush slowly crept across his face. Shinji's grin got bigger as both parties started to blush heavily.

"I'm sure you will Toji." Shinji simply replied, before turning back to business mode. "We should get back to the apartment though. We need to get a start on this party preparation when Misato heads back to NERV tomorrow, and I don't want the apartment to be a mess due to leaving Misato and the Angels there on their own today."

"She's not exactly the most, organised person is she." Hikari supplied, still red in the face due to Shinji's teasing.

"No, she isn't." Shinji replied as they started to pay for everything they'd bought. Quickly returning to the apartment after they were done.

* * *

The plan was to prepare all the food tomorrow. So, when Shinji, Toji, Hikari and Kensuke had returned to the apartment to find Misato sleeping on the couch, they'd dropped off all the food in the fridge, and left to head back to their own homes. The day was starting to slow down and come to an end, so Shinji retreated to his room. Plugging in his SDAT, and resting for a bit.

"Hey, Shinji!" Sachiel called, floating in front of his face. "What's this?" In the Angel's hands, was the Game Boy that Shinji had found stored away with his stuff.

"A Game Boy, hand it over." Shinji said, sitting up and holding his own hand out.

"Really?" Sachiel said as he handed it over. "What's so special about it?"

"Nothing." Shinji replied quickly, causing Sachiel to get in his face.

"That was too quick."

"Leave it Sachiel." Shamshel said, from his spot reading in the corner.

"Yes."

"See?"

"Fine, I'll stop. You're telling us where this comes from though."

"What? That's not what Shamshel – "

"Misato!?"

"What are you doing?"

"Yes, Sachiel?" Misato replied, coming into the room, a large smile on her face.

"Shinji has this Game Boy, and we're trying to figure out where it came from."

"It came from a friend, now leave it alone."

"Nope!"

"Thanks, Misato…"

"No problem!" Misato replied, her large grin still in place. Any time she could take to tease Shinji, she would take. It was too fun! "Who's this friend? Is it a girl?"

"Well…" Shinji replied, as his face started to burn.

"It is a girl!" Misato cried out in happiness. "Shinji has a crush!"

"Misato…"

"Tell us about this girl, Shinji."

"I don't remember much, it was a long time ago, she's probably forgotten me."

"Well, what do you remember?"

"Well, she had blue eyes, and long red hair. She was very pushy, but that was her personality I guess." Misato froze, this sounded almost exactly like someone she had to keep watch over before she had been transferred over to NERV HQ. "She was a great friend, as our mothers knew each other. But that's all I remember." Shinji said, staring at the ground. "She was amazing." He looked up and smiled. "I just wish I remember who she was."

"I'm sure you'll remember eventually, Shinji." Misato said with a small smile, pulling the boy into a hug. "She has to." She finished, having figured out exactly who Shinji was talking about.

"Are you sure, Misato." Came Shinji's voice, slightly muffled due to Misato's breasts being in the way. Again.

"I'm sure, Shinji." She said, continuing to hug him.

"M-Misato…! C-Can't b-breath!" Shinji cried out. Misato laughed as she released the boy from her hold. Shinji breathed in and out for a moment, his face completely red.

"Your face is completely red, Shinji!" Misato said, poking fun at the boy again.

"Thanks, Misato." Shinji replied, his face turning away from the woman, so that she couldn't see his red face anymore. With a smile, Misato exited the room, heading towards her own. Investigation on her mind.

Loading up her laptop quickly, she found the chat logs that Asuka had sent her while she looked after the feisty German girl at NERV-3 in Berlin. She had a raising suspicion. Both Shinji and Asuka had now spoken about knowing someone from their childhood that they just couldn't place, having forgotten who the person actually was.

Finding what she was looking for, she read over what Asuka had told her after she had found the girl staring into space once, talking about it over the chat logs with her a couple days later. "A boy from my childhood. He had blue eyes, and short brown hair. He was shy, but that was what I liked about him. He contrasted against me. He was great, and I hate my father for making me forget about him." Misato gasped. 'This all makes sense. That explains why Shinji looked at least somewhat familiar, he fit the description that Asuka gave of this boy she knew exactly. And Shinji, hearing what he had to say earlier, that fits Asuka pretty well. Did… Shinji and Asuka know each other?' She smiled as she ran that through her mind. 'They both have Game Boys, they both have Pocket Monsters, one has Red, the other has Green, this all makes sense!' Misato resolved to bring the two together as soon as possible, and she knew just how to do it.

* * *

**August 14th, 2015**

Maya Ibuki found her job interesting. When she'd signed up to be a part of NERV a couple years before, she hadn't expected to be working in such a large capacity. Not only taking care of rather important matters when an Angel attacked, which was something that she never thought she would be doing, not even considering the rather out of this world threat that the Angels posed. But also, taking on the role of Doctor Ritsuko Akagi's underling, having a rather intense and thorough understanding of the Evangelions themselves, far more so than her two companions on the main Bridge at NERV HQ, Makoto Hyuga and Shigeru Aoba. In short, Maya aspired to please her Senpai as much as possible.

On the other hand, Makoto Hyuga, who prided himself in being the oldest of their little group of Bridge Bunnies, as Shigeru had called them many, many times. Largely settled himself in making sure that he was well liked, particularly by Misato, who, as Shigeru had often teased him about, he had a rather large crush on. Spending some time regarding the surrounding Tokyo-3 area, as he usually did, was how he spent his days.

Shigeru Aoba couldn't care less really about what the other two of the Bridge Bunnies did. While he did take his job seriously, he'd also much rather have a nice session of guitar playing, as was his hobby. In fact, that's what he was playing around with right now, strumming some tunes on his Acoustic Guitar that he had snuck in to NERV HQ, and Central Dogma itself. He had a satisfied smile on his face as he played.

"Will you stop?" Makoto asked as he focused on the data in front of him, detailing everything around Tokyo-3 itself.

"Why?" Shigeru asked, setting his Guitar down beside him and looking over at his fellow Lieutenant. "Wanting to impress Misato with your knowledge of the city or something?" Makoto glared over at Shigeru, who laughed at the other male's discomfort.

"Stop it, Shigeru." Came the soft voice of Maya, looking over at the two males from her spot, the romance novel that she was commonly reading sitting open in her lap.

"Or what, Ibuki?" Shigeru asked, a playful grin on his face. Maya blushed slightly, swivelling around to sit away from her colleague. "See, you can't come up with anything." Shigeru laughed, before turning to his station and loading up a song. He started jamming along to the song, Air Guitar style.

_– NGE S2 Works – Disc 3, Track 44 – A-16 (NERV; Macaroni Western) –_

"Will you turn that off?" Makoto said, not taking his eyes of the large layout of Tokyo-3 spread out across Central Dogma.

"Why?"

"What do you think Commander Ikari will do if he comes in here and finds you slacking off?" Maya asked, "Or Senpai, or Misato?"

"Please, Ibuki." Shigeru replied, swivelling to face her. "None of those guys are going to turn up here. "The lovely Tactical Operations Director is off work today, something about being overworked or something." Makoto glared at Shigeru for his brief comment, before turning back to his work. "Besides, Doctor Akagi isn't going to show up, she's busy downstairs."

"How do you know that?" Maya asked suspiciously.

"I don't." Shigeru replied, "Although that's what she usually does right?" He questioned, not hearing the door open nearby.

"Aoba turn that music off please." Ritsuko commented as she wandered onto the main level of Central Dogma. Maya gave Shigeru a triumphant smirk, before turning to greet her Senpai.

_– End –_

"Anything of note."

"Nothing, Doctor Akagi." Makoto replied, "The city seems to be fine, nothing of note coming in on any radars."

"Good, good." Ritsuko replied, standing of to the side. "Have any of you heard from Misato recently?"

"Nope." Shigeru replied simply, continuing to play Air Guitar.

"She hasn't been in today." Maya supplied, happily answering the head of Project E. "She said something about being overworked recently."

"I'm not surprised." Makoto noted. "We've had two Angels attack in the span of three days, no wonder she's been overworked."

"I see." Ritsuko replied, turning back towards the door. "Well, if any of you see her, let her know that I need to speak with her." Ritsuko gave the group a small wave, before heading towards the door.

"Sorry, Doctor Akagi."

"Ah, Shinji." Ritsuko replied, as the Third Child stood behind the door that she was intending to head out of. "How're are the Angels doing?"

"They're doing fine, Doctor." He replied, with a small smile. "I need to talk to you."

"Alright, Shinji. We can talk on the way to my office." She said, heading towards the nearest lift, to take her towards her office. She turned shortly before reaching the lift though, Shinji hadn't followed. "Shinji?"

"I actually need to speak to all of you." Shinji noted, indicating to the Bridge Bunnies as well. Ritsuko raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything, heading back into Central Dogma, Shinji trailing behind.

"What was it you needed to see us about, Shinji?" Ritsuko asked as Shinji fumbled with something, before pulling out some small sheets of paper.

"You see, Misato got promoted recently."

"You heard about that?"

"Yeah, she kind of got drunk then started babbling on about it. She was having a drinking contest with Sachiel."

"Figures." Ritsuko replied with a small smile. Memories of the amount of times Misato would get drunk having drinking contests with people in their college years, which she'd always done to prove her worth.

"Anyway, I wanted to hold a party to celebrate, and I was hoping you would come." Shinji stated, handing out the invitations to Ritsuko and the Bridge Bunnies. "All of you." Shinji finished, scratching his neck.

"Well thank you, Shinji." Ritsuko said. "We'll be there." Shinji smiled, before leaving the room, a couple more invitations in his grasp.

"Wonder who gets those last two invitations?" Shigeru stated as he looked over the small piece of paper.

"Probably the Commander and the Vice-Commander." Ritsuko replied. "I wonder how that will go."

"I thought Shinji didn't get along with his father?" Maya asked, her face scrunched in confusion.

"He doesn't." Ritsuko replied. "That's why I wonder."

* * *

_– NGE S2 Works – Disc 2, Track 26 – C-3 (Relaxed and Heart-warming Day) –_

The party was in full swing. Many people were there, Shinji and Hikari, who had prepared all the food in advance during the day prior, Toji and Kensuke, who had tried to help until Hikari had forcefully pushed them out of the kitchen because they simply kept getting in the way.

The Bridge Bunnies, Maya, Makoto and Shigeru had shown up first, eager to actually get to know Shinji as they hadn't been able to see him that much since he'd arrived in Tokyo-3. The Bridge Bunnies were glad to find out more about their current ace pilot, which Shinji blushed quite nicely when had Shigeru called him that, stuttering out something like thank you.

Sachiel, Shamshel and Ramiel had taken to introducing themselves to as many new people as possible. Gleefully introducing themselves to Maya, Makoto and Shigeru when they had turned up. The reactions of the Bridge Bunnies changed from shock, to interest very quickly. Taking to asking the Angels about their species, and how many of them there were. When Rei turned up, the quiet girl simply briefly acknowledged the Angel's presence, before settling down on the couch quietly, and staying there for quite a while.

Finally, Ritsuko turned up with Misato. On entry, a large shout of Surprise came around, and Misato smiled a very large smile, her happiness radiating from her. She'd taken to getting out a large bottle of wine quickly and pouring a glass for everyone who was of age.

Shinji glanced around the apartment in happiness. He'd never been able to do something like this for someone before, and he was glad to have done so. The party seemed to take the threat of work away from Misato's mind, and he was thankful for that. After all, this party was for Misato, and Misato only, a party to celebrate her promotion, and just how much she did for them on a daily basis. 'Although, that's only really in her role at NERV.' Shinji thought, as Misato got into another drinking contest. Laughing to himself, he sat down on the couch, where Rei still sat, having not moved since the party began.

"Hey, Rei."

"Pilot Ikari." She replied in her usual tone.

"Are you enjoying the party?" Shinji asked, hoping to make conversation, as this was something that he hadn't been able to do with Rei at this point.

"Yes. It is very… intriguing." Rei replied, settling on her word of choice, staring out at the party in vague interest.

"Have you ever been at a party before?" Shinji asked, wanting to get to know his fellow pilot, and maybe even give her some friends she could hang around with. Help her get out of her shell.

"No. I haven't ever been ordered to."

"Ordered?"

"I do anything that Commander Ikari orders of me." Shinji stared at the girl, as she quietly took a sip of her drink.

"Right." Shinji replied, unsure of how to say anything to her. 'Orders? What does my father have to do with Rei?' Shinji felt those jealous feelings he had felt a few days ago from his father speaking to Rei like she was his daughter. He fought them down, wanting to focus on befriending Rei, and helping her in any way he could.

"Do you have any friends?"

"I haven't needed any." Rei replied, continuing to stare at the party.

"You haven't had friends?" Shinji replied, concern coursing through his veins. "Rei, you can have friends, it's a normal thing."

"Is it?"

"Yes, I'm your friend. At least, I think I am, and I'm sure that Hikari, Toji and Kensuke will also be your friends."

"Really?" She asked, intrigued at the notion.

"Yes. Hey, why don't you come sit with us at Lunch once School goes back in September? We'll show you what having friends is like." Rei looked down briefly, pondering the offer. She then turned back to Shinji, a small smile on her face.

"Yes. I will accept. Thank you, Pilot Ikari." Rei continued to smile at the boy, before returning to her drink and taking another sip.

"No problem, Rei." Shinji replied, turning back to the party.

"Major Katsuragi seems to be having fun." Rei said, Shinji turning towards Misato, who by this point was well and truly drunk, continuing to drink herself into a stupor. Shinji smiled as he got up to take away her bottle before she got any worse, when there was a knock at the door.

Slowly, he headed towards the door and opened it. Standing there was the Commander and Vice-Commander. "Father?"

_– End –_

"Are you going to let us in?" Gendo coldly replied, Shinji nodded, standing aside to let the two highest members of NERV into his home.

"Thank you, Shinji." Fuyutsuki said as he entered the home. Shinji gave the older man a smile, before returning to the main kitchen.

"Commander!" Came the cry from all the NERV personnel in the room. The remaining teens withered under the man's intense look.

"I can't stay long, Major Katsuragi. So, I will be quick." Gendo said as Misato glanced up at the man with an apprehensive look on her face. "Congratulations on your promotion, you've deserved it." Gendo then nodded at all the NERV personnel, before leaving the room and exiting the apartment.

Fuyutuski stayed behind a moment, looking across the room. "This looks like a fun party." He said, with a small smile on his face. "Unfortunately, I also cannot stay, the food looks delicious." The man gave Shinji a gentle smile at that. "You have your mother's talent in the kitchen Shinji. She would be very happy and proud of you."

"My mother? You knew my mother?"

"Yes, Shinji. Unfortunately, I am not able to share stories right now. Maybe in the future." He smiled again as he turned to Misato. "Congratulations on your promotion, Major. I'm sure you'll continue to be great at what you do." With a final smile, the man left the apartment. Silence followed, before Misato spoke, a smile on her face.

"Thank you, everyone for this wonderful party." She then grabbed Shinji and hugged him again. Shinji smiled slightly, relishing in the feeling of having someone be like a mother to him. "And a very special thank you to you, Shinji. Without you, this party would've never happened, and I'm very thankful for what you've done." Shinji smiled up at Misato.

"You're welcome, Misato. I'm glad you've enjoyed it." The party continued, everyone in good spirits.

* * *

"Thank you for coming!" Shinji said as the final guests exited the small home. With a smile, he returned to the kitchen, were Misato sat at the table, tracing patterns on the wood. Coming over to Misato, Shinji wrapped her into a hug. "Thank you, Misato. For taking me in and making me feel at home ever since I've arrived here. I can't thank you enough."

"That's alright, Shinji." Misato replied, a smile across her face. "However, you should let go before I think you're trying to get me to do something." She said cheekily. Shinji let go immediately, a blush coming across his face as Misato laughed at his embarrassment.

"Misato!" He cried, happiness adorning his voice, despite the protest.

"You're too easy to tease, Shinji!" Misato cried out in glee. "And it'll be even easier in the future!" Shinji gave Misato a look of confusion. Misato simply waved her hand at him. "Now get to bed, Shinji! Remember, sleep is the best rest the body can have!" She cheekily called as Shinji grinned.

"Thanks, Misato. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, Shinji!" Misato called back as she returned to her beer on the table in front of her.

* * *

**August 15th, 2015**

The LCL bubbled. Sparking and heating against the constraints of the Entry Plug. Around her, she could feel herself getting excited. This was it. An Angel had been held at the base for months, ever since the Third Angel had attacked Tokyo-3 a month before. However, the clanging against the walls of the Base could be heard from everywhere, and she was quickly shuffled into the Entry Plug, the first time in forever. No matter what, holding the Angel was no longer an option.

"Starting plug sequence."

"Sequence complete."

"Initialising LCL ionisation."

"Plug depth is stable, at default value." She stared around her as the technical babble came from around her. Breathing slowly, she took in her surroundings as the Entry Plug started to light up. She knew what the techs were talking about. But they couldn't know that.

"Autonomous systems are go."

"Boot-up voltage has hit the threshold." While she had heard this over and over, others hadn't. This was a unique Unit.

'Unique in all the wrong ways.' The girl thought as the babble continued.

"Launch prerequisites achieved."

"Synchronisation successful. Rate requirements are secure."

"Pilot." The girl glanced up, being addressed for the first time. "Please specify linguistic normal for the interface system, and cognitive functions."

"Testing. Testing. One… two… one… two… Oh that was fun! Can you hear me?"

"Roger. Stop messing around."

"Right, sorry. Set language for Japanese." She struggled in her seat feeling very uncomfortable. Around her, the Entry Plug ran diagnostics, like a running set of numbers and calculations. She understood everything, but she'd rather not. There was too much at stake right now, and fussing over the Unit's features was not going to get her anywhere. She continued to struggle, pain coming to her.

"We apologise for not being able to get the new Plugsuit to you on time."

"You think." She replied, laughing slightly, shifting once again. "This thing's too tight on my chest." She said bluntly. "My boobs are getting squashed here! Also, there's too much space down ther-"

"Calm down. You should really be more concerned about being sent into battle with a Provisional Unit on such short notice."

The girl sighed, the giant mask sitting on her head an indication of a Provisional Unit. 'Another thing to add to the list of things annoying me right now. First my boobs are getting squashed, and now I've got a clunky, heavy helmet on my head. Great.' She thought to herself, settling into position at the control yolks. "It's fine. I finally get to pilot at least!" She replied, trying for some enthusiasm.

"You've earned it… troublemaker…" The girl smirked as she started the start up procedure, tapping various buttons on the control yolks, things she had practised with for months now. "Now, good luck. It's all in your hands now."

"Yes, sir." She replied, ready to geek out. "This is amazing! I'm so excited! Listen to that hum!" She noted the repetitive humming noise that sounded around her, a smile gracing her face. In front of her, the abstractness of the picture was pleasing, with a smile, the circles met up. The power unit connecting up behind her. With a large smile, she focused ahead of her. "Alright! Now, Evangelion Provisional Unit-05. Move out!"

The head rose of Eva Unit-05, the lights glowing a bright yellow. With a crash, and brief explosion, Unit-05 moved quickly, towards the source of the nuisance.

Nearby, a rattling sound was heard. Moving quickly, the Angel blinked its eyes behind it's skull, the bones behind it continuing to rattle as he moved along by the wheel.

_Skeletal knows what's best! He'll w-w-w-win!_

The core sitting hard in his mouth, the blast from Skeletal's eyes caused the nearby gates to explode, sizzling a bright red as they flew away. The U.N. sat nearby, ready. Tanks trained on the door to the area. The explosion did everything to take out the U.N., the nearby Tanks were completely annihilated, Skeletal flying past as the explosion broke apart the area.

_S-s-s-stupid amateurs! I'm the best here! Mwahahahaha!_

"Move out, quickly!" A cry from nearby came as more Tanks moved into the folds of the area. Moving quickly and efficiently firing against Skeletal. Skeletal continued to move, the giant wheel making up his bottom half helping in this instance.

_You can't c-c-c-catch me!_

* * *

"Dammit!" A cry of annoyance came from the Central hub of Bethany Base. The Commander of said base slammed his fist against his console. The Central Hub of Bethany Base looked very much like Central Dogma at NERV HQ. Unlike Dogma however, Bethany Base's hub was much smaller, and did not have a MAGI of its own. With a cry of rage, the Commander spoke again. "Defend the Limbo area. At all costs! We can't let this Angel escape from Acheron! How could this thing have possibly escaped!? Our Cocytus system is so secure, that it should not have been neutralised so easily!"

"Not only was it possible," Came a smooth voice from behind the man. "But it was inevitable." The man turned towards Ryoji Kaji, as always, with a smirk on his face. "The fact is, humanity itself is incapable of keeping the Angels in check." Kaji spoke with a small smile. "We stripped the thing down to the very bone while studying the Angel. All that seemed to do was make the Nineteenth Angel angrier. Even the permafrost couldn't keep it in check. Enough to break through your containment system, letting the thing escape." The men stared at Kaji in disbelief, shock and horror crossing their faces. With a small smile, Kaji picked up a pilot's helmet sitting close by him. "Well then, good luck!" He said, with a small salute, his smile never leaving his face.

* * *

_– Evangelion 2.0 OST – Disc 2, Track 1 – At the Very Beginning –_

_"Happiness doesn't walk to you." _The girl sang happily as the Provisional Unit clunkily moving along it's plane. The wheels that made up Unit-05's feet rolled quickly along, intent on catching up with the other-worldly beast.

_"That's why I walk to it." _As Unit-05 moved swiftly, the constant grating of the cables allowing the Provisional Unit to move slightly annoyed the girl, but she continued to sing. The annoying noise not making her lose her happiness.

_"One step a day, making three steps in three days." _She happily pulled the control yolks back and forth. Shifting happily in her seat.

_"Three steps forward, and two steps back." _With a sharp drift, the Eva turned to the left, it's wheels continuing to be a nuisance, the half-complete Evangelion nearly getting stuck on the wall nearby.

_"Life is a one-two punch!" _Pushing valiantly off the wall, Unit-05 righted itself as it swiftly went past a door, slamming shut behind her. She laughed to herself as the hallway's three doors shut in time with her singing. Leaning forward expectantly, she saw the skeleton Angel shakily moving towards her. "There it is! Oh, it's coming closer! Deploy A.T. Field!"

_You can't d-d-d-defeat me! I'm the b-b-b-best! No large clunky r-r-r-robot will stop me!_

Skeletal screeched, moving forward at a much quicker pace than before, the wheel, the only part of its body left, screeching against the metal ground. Unit-05 came ever closer, the girl preparing the lance on its right arm, one of its only weapon, for attack.

"Target Inbound." A voice came through on the com. "Evangelion Unit-05 is about to engage the Angel."

With a loud war cry, the girl brought her lance up, and promptly sent it forward, with the intent to take out the core.

_N-n-n-nice try, g-g-g-girly!_

Skeletal shifted immediately, the lance hitting the wall on the side. Unit-05 was aggressively pulled back. Skeletal struck, attacking the left arm with a vicious snarl.

The girl cried from the Entry Plug, as the Angel swept past her. "Damn you!" She cried out as Unit-05 clunkily turned around, to head right back towards the Angel. "Move already! This is so god damn stiff!" The mechanicals on the underside gave out, a sign of the rush job that was used to put them together. Grinding backwards, Unit-05 collided with the wall. "Alright then!" The girl cried, as she straightened Unit-05. "I guess I'm just going to have to use brute force!"

_Hahahaha! I'm o-o-o-out now! You'll never c-c-c-catch me!_

Skeletal screeched from its far distance. Not moving from its current course. Skeletal's eyes lit up, and with a flash of light, escape was near. The wall exploded, sending debris everywhere. Coming out into a more open space, Skeletal slid to a stop. Preparing for an attack, a large halo suddenly appeared above the Angel's head. As Skeletal began to rise, Evangelion Unit-05 suddenly appeared, snatching onto the underside of Skeletal's body. With a loud shriek, the wheel on Skeletal's underside was ripped off, sending a spurt of blood towards the ground.

_D-d-d-damn you! Let's see if y-y-y-you'll like this!_

With a large crow, the halo began to send a beam of light straight upwards, the mechanical walls above beginning to break apart one by one. As this happened, Skeletal rose towards the soon to be opened sky, Unit-05 holding on tightly underneath.

* * *

The Central Hub of Bethany Base was in chaos. The main screen showed the damage to the outer walls. They were falling apart as they spoke.

"Upper outer walls integrity compromised!"

"The target is heading for the final seal! It's about to be breached!"

* * *

With a loud cry, the column of wall that was being pushed up by the beam of light finally reached breaking point. Upon fulling coming into the open, dark sky, the column collapsed, sending the pieces flying into the seas surrounding Bethany base.

"The target has broken through the Limbo area! Ascending into Acheron!"

"What!?" The Commander cried out in terror. "Get Unit-05 to do something!"

Unit-05 skidded once they arrived in the dark skies. Skeletal shaked around in the air. The girl growled as she landed roughly on top of Bethany Base. "Oh, no you don't!" Activating the Eva's rocket boosters, Unit-05 flew quickly across the top of the Base, slamming into Skeletal with its lance. Pushing hard, Unit-05 fought with Skeletal for a moment. "Get! Back! Here!" The Eva won and successfully pinned the Angel against one of the many pillars surrounding Bethany Base.

Skeletal went still. The girl watched with bated breath. 'Did I do it?'

_It's not that e-e-e-easy, girly!_

Skeletal screeched, whipping its head around, eyes flaring. With a flash, a beam came out, surrounding Unit-05 entirely.

"Ah! Shit! That really hurts!" The girl shouted as the heat of the beam caused the LCL to boil in the plug. The boiling LCL started to peel at her Plugsuit, causing the outer green to burn away. "If it wasn't so much fun!" She cried as she brought Unit-05's claw arm up. In the haste of the moment, the claw attached firmly onto Skeletal's core, sitting cleanly in its mouth.

A beep knocked the girl out of the moment. Glancing to the left, thirty seconds remained. "I'm running out of time!" She continued to struggle, the LCL doing wonder against the Plugsuit. "Better make this snappy!" The arm struggled to crush the core, causing the girl to cry out in frustration. "These bloody arms weren't synched properly, being forcefully synchronised! They don't have enough power! It's starting to fall apart on me!" The girl started to shake inside the Entry Plug, pushing hard against the left control yolk.

_Take t-t-t-this, girly!_

Skeletal's eyes blinded again, sending another beam of light towards Unit-05. With a swish, the legs of Unit-05 were chopped cleanly off, falling to the ground below. "Fine!" The girl cried, pain etched into her voice. "Here! You've made it so obvious, I'll just give you the fucking arm!" Dropping the Lance, Unit-05 quickly brought the arm back up, the right claw holding firmly onto the core. Unit-05's mouth finally cracked open, breaking through its bindings, giving out a massive roar. "I've had enough!" She cried as she pushed hard against her control yolks. "Just…! Fucking…! Die already!" With a final ounce of strength, the claws crushed the core, cracking it down the middle. Skeletal lay limp, as the core exploded.

The girl hurriedly slammed the eject button, sending the Entry Plug into the air in a hurry, from the back of Unit-05. As the Plug flew away, Unit-05 self-destructed taking Skeletal, and Bethany Base with it. Skeletal was defeated, but many lives were also lost.

_– End –_

A whir of an engine hovered close to the blast, quickly moving out of the way. Inside, Ryoji Kaji sat in thought, staring out at the destruction.

"Target has been obliterated." A voice confirmed. "Unit-05 has been vaporised."

"The pilot appears to have ejected." Another voice stated, a sense of unease in the voice.

"So, the self-destruct program of Unit-05 was successfully activated." Kaji noted. "Triggering without a hitch." Kaji relaxed against the seat, concern written across his features. "Although, it's a shame we have to use these kids, to do all the dirty work of man."

* * *

The sea lapped lazily against the side of the grey and black Entry Plug. The side popped off, flying into the air. As the steam from the sudden ejection of the large door settled, the girl stood slowly, clutching her chest. "Ow, ow, ow… that really hurt." Sitting down on the Plug itself, she allowed herself to settle down. "They didn't say synchronising with an Eva proper would be this taxing." She reached her hand up, pressing a small button on the side of the helmet. The screen at the front moved out of the way, allowing her to take off the helmet, revealing flowing brown hair, and blue eyes hidden behind pink-lined glasses. Standing she looked towards what remained of Bethany Base. "Well, I survived." 'For real this time…' "Still, I do feel kind've bad about involving these adults to get what I want…" She stared out at the two crosses that sat high above the ocean, a rainbow sitting underneath. She smiled. "Bon voyage. Evangelion Unit-05. You've served us all well."

つづく

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woot woot! Anyone who can guess the identity of Unit-05's pilot gets a cookie! (Not really). Anyway, next time, Episode 7! Ie. More filler. Yay!
> 
> Also, Skeletal! (Or the Third Angel from Rebuild.) Here he is the Nineteenth Angel, which may sound weird, but it will be explained in a couple chapters' time. He's very crazy, and has a bit of a stutter, so he will go nicely with the pilot that killed him.
> 
> Changes:  
In the series, Maya's sexuality is not explicitly known, she is assumed however, to be homosexual, due to the rather large hints that she has feelings for Ritsuko. In this story, I'm making her Bisexual. She'll still have her feelings for Ritsuko, but I also want her to be happy, so I'm most likely going to pair her with Shigeru. Makoto will still have feelings for Misato, as he always had.  
The battle against Skeletal is taken straight from the beginning of Evangelion 2.0.


	16. The Work of Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gendo gets a call from a mysterious person regarding a project. Shinji is embarrassed as Misato shows up for his Parent Teacher Day at school, courtesy of Toji and Kensuke. Rei is persuaded by Shinji and Hikari to join them in the future as friends. Shinji and Rei mull over their thoughts during and after a sync test. Gendo learns about new happenings regarding Project E. Shinji finds out more about the past world and what happened to it. A man gets ready for his new project to be uncovered. Misato gets ready to leave, freaking everyone in her apartment out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! Sorry for the wait, Episode 7 can be really boring, I have to say. Anyway, some progression here. Some news regarding a new machine being built. Gendo having plans. Progress on new Evangelion Units comes to light. Shinji finds out a bit more about the world as it is today. All this and more, in today's chapter!

**August 17th, 2015**

The Geofront was quiet, unusual for the day. The soft pitter patter of the lake next to the Geofront was all that could be heard.

Gendo Ikari's office stood as it always did. Dark, dank, a place that generally, no one would ever want to be in. The usual artwork sat situated on the floor and ceiling of the office. Inside, Gendo stood on the phone, in deep conversation with someone.

"So, it seems it's come to this. I owe you, once again." Gendo stated, staring blinding at the door.

"You're not going to pay me back anyway, aren't you?" The voice on the other end replied in a serious tone, no emotion settling through the voice. "Speaking of which, those materials they demanded under the Freedom of Information Act." Gendo stared down at his desk, intrigue crossing his face. The plans for the Human Instrumentality Project lay open on the desk. The white light shining up at him. The only light in the otherwise dark room. "I handled the situation by giving them some… falsified data. The government is currently pursuing legal action, but knowing them, that could be blocked any day now." Gendo frowned, this wasn't going according to plan. What the man said next however, gave Gendo some hope once again. "So, should I do something regarding that project as well?"

Gendo thought for a moment, letting all the information he had received settle into place. Realising that the materials was exactly what he needed, he replied. "No. Judging by the materials that you've sent me, there should be need for any more action." Gendo glanced up at the brief sketch sitting in front of him. A large machine, similar to an Evangelion but very different at the same time. It had a rather large body, with no distinguishable head. In short, the machine was practically worthless. Gendo smiled.

"Alright then. I'll proceed according to the scenario." A click was heard as the line went dead.

* * *

_– NGE S2 Works – Disc 2, Track 14 – B-16 Rhythm Only (Misato) –_

The popping of the toaster brought the majority of the apartment's occupants to life. Shinji happily bit down on his piece of toast that he had quickly gotten out. Buttering it quickly before savouring the taste. Beside him Sachiel also ate… something, he wasn't sure what. It looked disgusting though. Shamshel was a bit more normal, deciding to have a bit of toast as well. In Shamshel's words, he was, "Trying out a bit of Human Cuisine." Ramiel sat there staring at everyone, not doing anything. Pen-Pen happily ate some of the complete fish that Shinji had set out for him. Grabbing the entire thing with his beak and happily gulping it down whole. Shinji didn't notice, happily eating himself. At peace with himself, and everyone around him.

The sound of a door being pulled open announced Misato's entrance. Still wearing her night clothes, Misato yawned as she massaged he stomach, groaning in annoyance at the day ahead.

Everyone simply looked at her, Misato didn't really care about the attention, she hardly noticed it anyway because she still wasn't completely awake. Shinji raised an eyebrow, his toast still in his hand. "Good morning." Pen-Pen took another whole fish into his mouth, the sound of it startling everyone.

"Someone's chipper this morning!" Sachiel cried out as Misato tiredly glanced around the room.

"Good morning." Misato replied, taking a massive yawn. She slowly walked into the room, looking like a zombie, heading towards the fridge for her usual morning beer. Opening it slowly, she pulled one out, and closed the door again.

"Something tells me that beer is not the best morning drink." Shamshel bluntly stated as Misato sat down, he hands slowly pulling open the can, the drink making a loud fizzing sound at the change in makeup.

"You think?" Shinji replied sarcastically as he watched Misato take a large swig of beer, her gulping being the only sound that could be heard throughout the whole apartment. Shinji was unimpressed.

"YEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHAAAAAWWWWWW!" Shinji looking surprised as Misato completely woke up, like flipping a switch, Misato's personality completely changed from barely awake Misato to fully awake and ready to go big sister Misato in a second.

"Yeahaw?" Sachiel asked, wondering what that word was. "That's not a word I've seen in the dictionary."

"That's because it isn't. Misato's just slurring out words." Shinji replied, his eyes still on Misato.

"Now, that is the way to start your morning!" Misato cried out, her usual jovial tone now slipping into place. "There isn't any other way to go about it!"

"I have a question." Shinji asked. Misato glanced up, her beer rolling back and forth in her hands. "Why not just have coffee?"

"Oh!" Misato mockingly cried out, leaning forward on the table. "Do you have a problem with tradition, Shinji? Don't you know that a traditional Japanese breakfast consists of steamed rice, some miso soup, and a little bit of sake?"

"Your tradition maybe." Shinji replied, a small smile on his face. Taking a sip of his own coffee that sat in front of him.

"Excuse me?" Misato replied, her face scrunched up in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Shinji ignored her question, moving on to another topic. "Also, I believe it was someone's turn to cook this morning." Taking another sip, Shinji sighed dramatically. "Now it all makes sense. This is why you're still single, isn't it? Especially at your age…" Misato growled slightly from her side of the table. "You're gonna end up being an old maid, Misato."

"What're you saying? Are you saying I'm lazy, Shinji?"

"And sloppy as well!" Sachiel helpfully jumped in, his tone indicating that he loved this game.

"He's got a point." Shamshel stated, letting himself relax from all the teasing and mocking.

"See, we all agree Misato." Shinji said, glancing up at the older woman.

"Ah!" Misato cried out, relaxing against her chair. "Just leave me alone!"

"Well," Shinji said, as he placed his glass down on the table. "I'm finished." Putting his hands together briefly, thanking himself, ironically, for the meal, he got up and started to clean his own dishes. The sound of the toaster going off again alerted Misato to her own breakfast, and she gleefully grabbed it and started to eat… or she would've if she wasn't already on her second beer, instead letting the small meal hang from her mouth as she watched Shinji do the dishes. "So, is it true that you're going to be coming to my school today?"

"Of course I am!" Misato replied, her voice muffled from the toast still in her mouth. "It's parent-teacher meetings isn't it?" Misato grabbed her toast and held it in her hand as she continued.

"It's just that, you seem to be so busy with work…" Shinji replied, trailing off.

"Shamshel, it would seem that Shinji does not want Misato to come to school today."

"Yes."

"Sachiel?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up." Misato laughed at the Angel's antics beside her, before answering Shinji.

"Don't worry about it. I haven't got any more paperwork and I've already done most of the work from these two buggers." She indicated to Shamshel and Ramiel as she said this. "Besides, as your guardian, this is actually part of my job too."

"It's part of your job?" Shinji replied, unbelievably. Misato frowned slightly as the doorbell rang. Shinji finished up right then, turning the tap off and leaving everything to dry on the side of the counter.

"Yes!?" Misato gleefully called out soon after the doorbell rang. Shinji slowly got his school stuff together, as the group of Toji, Hikari and Kensuke entered the apartment. "Oh, it's great that Shinji has such good friends! Thanks for coming all this way! I'm sure it means a lot to him!"

"Misato…" Shinji asked, turning to the woman still wearing her night clothes. "Please don't go out like that, they don't need to see that. It's, kinda embarrassing."

Misato laughed as she used her arms to push her breasts up, making them look bigger. "I know!" Shinji turned away in embarrassment, causing Misato to laugh again.

"Point check. Using arms to push up large tumor like things on chest makes them look bigger." Sachiel noted to himself, causing Shamshel to smack him over the head. Misato laughed again, before dropping her act as the group of friends entered the kitchen area.

_– End –_

"Good morning, Ikari!" Came the loud voices of Toji and Kensuke. Hikari stood behind them, frowning slightly.

"Hey!" Sachiel said, floating over towards Toji. "What's that on your head?" Toji looked confused, not knowing what the Angel was talking about.

"Your bag is situated above your head, you idiot." Hikari supplied, gently pulling it down from Toji's head. "There, you don't look like a fool anymore."

"Thanks, Hikari." Kensuke laughed before turning to Misato.

"We'll be going now, Miss Misato!"

"Be careful, now!" Misato called back, simply waving her arm out from her room, she was still in her night clothes at this point. "Don't do anything stupid!"

Shinji frowned as Toji and Kensuke started to sigh happily at Misato, not understanding why his two friends found Misato so intriguing. Hikari didn't understand either, staring daggers at the back of Toji's head in anger and annoyance. "Oh, come on! Let's get going you guys!" Hikari angrily stated, heading out the door, letting the boys trail along behind her. Shinji had to pull Toji and Kensuke away from the door, knowing that Misato had headed for the shower as she usually did in the morning, and he didn't need to have his two best friends see his guardian in that state. The door shut closed behind them, leaving Misato alone in the apartment, the Angels having retreated to Shinji's room.

* * *

Drying her hair, Misato quickly grabbed another towel and wrapped it around her body. Her shower had been great, it had allowed her to relax for a moment, but she needed to go back to work again, and continue getting ready for more Angel attacks. Not caring about her state of dress, she headed into the kitchen, opening the fridge for another can of her signature Yebisu Beer.

With practised precision, she opened the can with one hand, leaning against the fridge. Taking a sip, she sighed in happiness. "Ah, sarcasm." Misato giggled as she took another sip. "Shinji, he's getting more comfortable being around here. It is good that his friends have been able to help him express himself and loosen up more. He's starting to actually speak to me as more than just his commanding officer." Sliding down the fridge, she sat on the floor, her towel still tightly wrapped around her. Taking another sip, she grabbed the phone, dialling the number of NERV's head security division, Section 2. "Yes? He's just left for school. I'll leave guarding him to you guys now, make sure you keep an eye on him." The toaster popped up again. Quickly grabbing her toast she had prepared, she retreated to her room to find some clothes for the day. She planned to grab people's attention, but still keep it casual for her day at Shinji's school. Quickly dressing, she ran towards the door, waited impatiently for it to open, and rushed outside to her still barely held together car.

Quickly slamming the door after jumping into the drivers seat, she turned the car on and in her typical fashion, decided to see how many different traffic laws she could break on her drive to the local high school. With a large smile, Misato began her mission.

* * *

Shinji stared out the window of the classroom, staring at something out in the distance. Hikari came beside him, wondering about what he was doing. "What are you looking at?" She asked, curiosity coming across her features.

"Just, that." Shinji replied, indicating out in the distance. A whole assortment of cranes and disassembly materials were all in place. Situated around them, at the heart of the city, was pieces of Ramiel's crystalline form. After Ramiel's explosion a few days before, pieces of her body were found near the explosion point, settling around the area. NERV had come in a couple days later, and started on the process and taking it all apart and taking it away. They'd only started recently, so the light blue crystal was still seen in the daylight.

"Is that?"

"Yeah, the remains of Ramiel." Shinji smiled. "Turns out Angels can do a lot of things. They can completely explode, like Sachiel did. Not explode at all, but still die, like Shamshel did. Or they can explode, but leave bits of it behind, like Ramiel did. It's… so surreal." He finished, continuing to look at the work going on. The sound of a car coming into the school grounds broke Shinji and Hikari's attention. Looking down, the familiar blue Renault owned by Misato drifted into a parking spot. Shinji flinched, remembering his initial arrival in Tokyo-3, and Misato's… less than proper driving skills. The car itself was still rundown, and Shinji wondered whether Misato would replace the car, or have it restructured.

The moment the car's wheel's slammed down on the ground due to Misato's interesting thought to drift into a parking spot, Toji and Kensuke came to the window, pushing Shinji and Hikari out of the way. Kensuke's camera was in his hands, as it always was.

"Woohoo!" Toji cried out in happiness. "She's arrived! Alright!" Hikari glared at the boy again in aggravation. Shinji gave her a small smile, before glancing outside. The door of the car opened, and Misato stepped out, wearing a different outfit than her usual black dress. A white shirt and black dress, with a light cream jacket, and a nice pair of white heels. Misato smirked as she removed her sunglasses, whipping her head around, allowing her purple hair to flow in the daylight.

"Woah!"

"Who is she?"

"Is she… Ikari's quardian?"

"Seriously! Lucky bastard! Ikari's got a hot babe as a guardian?"

Hikari frowned, having stepped back from the window. She now stood in the centre of the room, completely unimpressed with the actions of every single male in the room that wasn't Shinji. "They're all idiots. Every single one of them." She declared, still unimpressed.

Kensuke continued to film, focussing on Misato prominently as she wondered towards the main school gates. She glanced up, smiled, and gave them a peace sign. Around Shinji, the males of the room gave peace signs right back. Shinji frowned, she really wasn't this appealing.

"Wow! Miss Misato is really awesome!"

"You really think so?" Shinji asked Toji, letting the other boy come back into the classroom after almost falling out of the window due to his actions.

"What's even more amazing, is that someone this beautiful is NERV's Ops Director!"

"You think so, do you?" Toji and Kensuke glanced back at Shinji, letting their opinions wash over him.

"Hey, Ken! Good thing that Shinji's such a baby, huh?"

"You got that right, Toji!" Kensuke replied. "He's no rival for us!"

"You guys don't understand just how much of a slob she is." Shinji concluded as Misato entered the building, causing every male in the room to retreat from the windows, and return to their seats.

"Oh man, I wish I had a girlfriend like her!" Toji cried out, letting his fantasies wash over him. Shinji glanced over at Hikari, who had clearly heard what Toji had said and was glaring daggers at him.

"These thoughts like this are exactly the reason you don't have a girlfriend, Toji!" She cried out in annoyance, angrily settling down at her own desk.

"What's up with her?" Toji asked, confusion across his features. Shinji and Kensuke gave him a look of disbelief.

"Really?" They both said at the same time. Toji didn't listen, back in his own fantasy land.

"Misato Suzahara. Yeah, that works well…" He smiled to himself as Kensuke started to go into his own fantasy land.

"I bet you'd have a tough time. Just saying." Shinji commented, in complete disbelief.

"You just don't get it, do you, Mr. Big Shot?" Toji and Kensuke commented at the same time, causing Shinji to glance at his two friends in concern. "Here's the deal. We'll leave you to protect and save the Earth because that's your job, and the two of us will take care of Misato." With a large smile, they gave Shinji a large slap at the same time, causing Shinji to buckle over slightly. He glanced up slightly, in annoyance.

"Rise! Bow! Sit!" Came the authoritive voice of Hikari, a tinge of annoyance settled into it, ready to start the lesson.

* * *

Shinji was relieved when the bell finally rang signifying the end of the day. Misato had made it her duty, throughout the entire day, to make the male occupants of the room pay absolutely no attention, and tease the hell out of him. As such, as soon as the bell had gone, he'd waved goodbye to Misato, and got the hell out of there. Misato was surprised for a moment, but laughed it off and headed home.

Outside, Shinji met up with Toji, Hikari and Kensuke. Toji and Kensuke were still planning their futures with Misato, which Shinji was more annoyed about now. Hikari continued to glare at Toji, a mixture of jealousy and annoyance on her face. Before they left to hang out for the afternoon, as Shinji didn't have a sync test, Rei walked out of the room, quietly heading towards the entrance of the school. Shinji and Hikari glanced at each other quickly, before Shinji turned to run after Rei.

"Hey, Rei!"

"Hello, Pilot Ikari."

"So, Hikari and I noticed that you were lonely and wondered if you'd like to join us for the afternoon."

"Join you?" Rei questioned, confusion settling on her features. She glanced over Shinji's shoulder towards Toji, Hikari and Kensuke. She watched as Hikari began to berate Toji again, for what, the albino girl had no idea. It did however, make her smile. "Yes, Ikari. I will accompany you." Rei said, grabbing her stuff, she followed after Shinji towards the small group of friends.

"Hi, Rei!" Hikari greeted, a smile adorning her face as the other girl approached. Hikari herself was very happy about letting Rei into their small group of friends. Being surrounded by guys in their friend group annoyed her a bit, so having another girl made her happy. They just needed to let her open up a bit. "How are you?"

"I am good. Thank you for asking Class Representative Horaki."

"Please, Rei. Call me Hikari!" She replied coming to speak to the girl on her own. "Don't make it harder than it needs to be. It took forever to get these dorks to call me Hikari again."

"Okay, Ho-, Hikari." Rei replied, cutting herself off as she almost called Hikari by her last name again. With a small smile appearing on her face, Rei set out with the small group of friends, watching as they walked along and chatted, or just fooled around. Rei watched them silently, thoughts mulling through her mind. 'Is this what it feels like to have… friends?' She thought as she saw Hikari giving Toji a piece of her mind once again. 'It feels… nice.' With a wider smile, she walked in tandem with them, happiness appearing on her features. 'Thank you, Ikari."

* * *

**August 18th, 2015**

Shinji sat silently inside of Evangelion Unit-01. Progress was currently happening in his sync test, which was being conducted at the same time as a routine maintenance check on the giant machine. 'This is weird…' Shinji thought as the progress continued. 'They've never done this before. So why are they doing it now?' The Angels weren't with Shinji right now, having been forcibly removed from the Eva after rushing inside at the same time. Thinking back on the event brought a chuckle to Shinji, remembering how all three had sped towards Unit-00 after being pulled out of Unit-01, and Rei having to quietly, and bluntly, tell the Angels that they weren't allowed with her either. The Angels had sulked out after that.

Shinji relaxed back against the seat, letting himself completely relax into the Eva's hold. It felt unique and familiar to him, but he couldn't exactly place why. 'It's almost… motherlike…' Shinji thought, the machine notably heating slightly at this thought, before returning to its normal state.

"Evangelion Unit-01 has achieved the required cooling level." Came the announcement from Maya over the speakers. "Shifting primary operations to Phase 2."

Shinji relaxed again, his thoughts drifting to the Evangelion itself. Its purpose. 'Just why are we using these things?' He thought to himself as he continued to relax. 'My father said it's for the good of mankind. To protect both humanity and the planet itself.' Scrunching up his nose slightly, Shinji was reminded of one of the many reasons why he didn't like piloting the Evangelion. Blood. 'This Entry Plug always smells of blood. Just… what is an Eva?' Shinji slumped back slightly, annoyance crossing his features. 'As always, I know nothing. Nothing about the Eva, or what it's for. It's all a bunch of secrets constantly being passed around. Is this all I'm needed for?'

The sound of the Evangelion's Entry Plug opening threw Shinji from his thoughts. The test with over, with a thankful sigh, Shinji exited the plug, meeting Rei on the way to the locker rooms. They'd been told to meet with Misato and Ritsuko afterwards, and stay with them for reasons unknown. Entering the separated change rooms, Shinji and Rei proceeded about their usual business after a sync test. Stripping off their now LCL drenched plugsuits, having a short shower in the basterdisations that NERV call a shower, and returning to the main rooms to quickly change back into their normal clothes and proceed with their day like nothing had happened. Today however, thoughts ran through both Shinji and Rei's minds as the warm water washed over their bodies.

Shinji's thoughts were entirely on the Eva itself. Continuing on his thoughts from the Sync Test itself. 'Like usual, we're left with nothing. Nothing about the Angels, nothing about the Eva's. What is the point of all this? Why am I fighting if I don't know what it is I'm fighting? I know that I continue to pilot the Eva so that my friends can live normal lives.' Shinji stared up at the shower head, seeing his own face in it staring back at him. 'Why do I keep going if all I'm going to get is nothing?'

Rei's mind however, was on a very different topic. Friends. What they were. Their uses. The reasoning and thoughts behind having friends. It was an odd topic for her, as she simply stood and stared at the wall. 'Why do I need friends? Commander Ikari did not order me to make friends. Yet, Ikari and his friends are good people, and they are friendly to me. Why am I not allowed friends?' She stared at herself in the mirror, unfazed by her nudity. 'Is it not normal? I was never told I could have friends, because I am not normal. Maybe… I can have friends.'

The thoughts of the two pilots continued as they met back up outside the locker rooms, heading towards the nearest lift to meet up with Misato and Ritsuko. Rei simply held herself as she normally would, staring at the world. Shinji stood reading through a book he had found recently, doing anything to keep his mind at ease. The doors to the lift opened, causing both teens to look up. To their surprise, Makoto and Maya were also in the lift, waiting for them to enter. Settling inside, Shinji and Rei settled into their own places. Shinji stood to the side, Rei standing nearby, continuing to stare into space, both hardly paying attention as the lift took them around the bowels of NERV HQ. Around them stood Misato, with Ritsuko, Maya and Makoto, all in deep conversation about the Evangelions. 'As usual, I'm simply here.' Sitting on Shinji's shoulder was Sachiel, while Shamshel and Ramiel floated in the air.

"Unit-00's bio-chest components. How is that coming along, Maya?" Ritsuko asked, intrigue and knowing laced into her voice.

"They were seriously damaged." Maya replied, memories of the battle against Ramiel returning to the forefront of their minds. "Unfortunately, we'll have to make an entirely new chest component. Considering our current supplementary budget, building a new one will barely fit in with everyone else we have to do."

Ritsuko sighed, sipping her glass of coffee. "Will our job get any simpler once Unit-02 arrives from Germany?"

"Just, maybe." Makoto replied, leaning against the railing. "Disposing of the remaining pieces of Ramiel on the surface isn't that cheap, right?" He laughed slightly, before returning to full work mode.

"Yep." Misato replied. "This place is really tight when it comes to the money department. A large problem considering that mankind's very existence is at stake here!"

"Well, that's just something that we have to work with." Ritsuko replied. "Man cannot live by Eva alone." She quoted herself, smiling slightly. "All the survivors from the Second Impact, not only in Japan, but surrounding regions also need money to survive."

"Money! Money! Money…" Misato said, slowly depleting with every word she said. "So, is the Commander busy with another conference?" She asked, wondering laced through her tone."

"Yes," Ritsuko replied. "As a matter of fact, he's on board the plane at this very moment."

"Thank god for that." Maya noted quietly. "I'm thankful for the small amount of peace and quiet around here."

"The Commander's gone? Partay!" Sachiel cried, floating around in joy, being the only one of Shinji and Rei's small group of Angels to actually pay attention to the conversations around him.

"As I said. Small amount of peace and quiet." Ritsuko chuckled as Sachiel huffed.

* * *

The engines of Gendo Ikari's Private Jet roared into the night. Fuel was burning, preparations were underway, and everything was fine. Ready for the trip that was going to take place.

Inside the vehicle, the area was lit quite nicely, with the pink fabric of all the chairs contrasting against the more peach colour of the walls and ceiling, creating a nice compromise in the space provided. A large screen sat at one end, opposite the cabin door, playing some sort of news report on recent happenings. Gendo Ikari sat nearby, in a window seat, naturally, staring out at the expanse of the airport. Not even the sound of the entry door into the main cabin area stirred Gendo from his current position.

The clacking of the man's shoes came down the aisle, the man wearing a rather nice grey suit. The man stopped nearby, turning towards Gendo. "Excuse me," The man spoke with a rather nice, pleasant tone. "It seems everywhere else is full, do you mind if I sit here?" The man said, knowing full well that the plane was empty sans for Gendo.

"Go ahead." Gendo replied, fully expecting this to happen. The man sat quietly, settling into the comfy seat.

"The revised budget applied for the sample collection passed cleanly, didn't it?" The man started, fully intent on having a conversation of serious matters.

"The main concern of the committee is for their own survival. When it comes to budget, they won't be so stingy when their own lives are at stake."

"Understandable, after all, they didn't seem to think there would be more Angels." The man stopped for a brief moment, adjusting his suit accordingly. "I do have another piece of good news. All members of the United Nations, expect for the United States, have given their full cooperation towards the production of Evangelion Mark. 06. It is set to begin construction on the Tabgha Base, stationed on the Moon. Mark. 06 is designed to be another Production Model, and a pilot has already been selected. It's only a matter of time before the US give their cooperation, considering the failure that was Evangelion Unit-05." The man stopped again, grabbing a large bottle of whisky from his case sitting beside him, he popped it open and took a large sip, savouring the taste. "That country is allergic to unemployment, after all. But they'll learn."

"What about your country?" Gendo replied, having not looked at the man once during the entire conversation.

"We will participate by beginning construction on Evangelion Unit-08. The plans for the second installation project are still viable. However, there is a slight problem. We need to find a pilot for the mech."

"A Pilot is not a problem. The Proto Child survived the self-destruction of Unit-05 on Bethany Base. Now it is simply a case of finding the girl. We mustn't have any delay. The Angels have returned." Gendo stated confidently. "We have no other choice but to defeat them."

"My people don't want a repeat of the Second Impact either. You understand that?"

* * *

"Let me get this straight. What you're telling me, is that the Second Impact that evaporated Antarctica wasn't a meteorite? I've been taught a straight lie." Shinji noted, a frown on his face at being kept out of things again. As always, he felt like an asset to NERV, not really working for them, but working for them anyway.

"Yes, that's what the History books say." Ritsuko replied, shuffling through an assortment of files to showcase. "The real events were covered up by the international governments, as a way to help ease people's worries. Besides, having the Angels here with us now might give us a better look at what went on in the Second Impact, as we only have some accounts, most of which come from people who perished in the disaster."

"Can't really do that." Shamshel stated, "We were all very young when Second Impact happened, we can hardly remember the events."

"What we do know, is that fifteen years ago, at Antarctica, mankind discovered a being known as the First Angel. A humanoid being." Misato stared at the wall, not paying attention to Ritsuko, who continued to explain the Shinji the real events of the Second Impact. "However, in the middle of the investigation into the being, for unknown reasons, there was a huge explosion. That Shinji, is the real truth about the Second Impact." Ritsuko recited, finishing slowly, glancing over at Misato briefly.

"So," Shinji started, "The things that are happening here, at NERV… What I'm doing when I get into the Eva…"

"Yes," Ritsuko replied, "It is to prevent a probable Third Impact from occurring. That is the sole purpose of NERV, and the Evangelions." Shinji nodded, Sachiel not having something to say for once, simply staring ahead.

"This feels strange." Shamshel started. "We were born to rejoin with the father, starting what you call the Third Impact. But, after staying here for a while…"

"Yeah, Shamshel… It's like, maybe this is not for the better of the world…" Sachiel commented, settling into their ideals about the situation. "From now on, we shall help prevent a Third Impact!"

"Yes."

Ritsuko glanced at the Angels, nodding to show she accepted their help. "By the way, Misato…" Ritsuko glanced at Misato, who'd come out of her trance like state and was back to her work self. "The event that we discussed will occur tomorrow, as it was scheduled."

"I understand." Misato spoke quietly.

* * *

A man stared up at his creation with pride. 'This is it.' He thought, 'Tomorrow is finally the day that I will take NERV down. I've been planning this for months, and tomorrow is when it finally happens.' Taking a step down from his view of the giant machine in front of him, walking towards the nearby mirror. The man looked back at himself, giving himself a smile of approval in the process. He had a short, black haircut, set out with generic black eyes, and a smug smile adorning his face. He finished his look with a carefully pressed suit, set in the colour white today, to go with the main colour of his giant machine. Yes, Shiro Tokita was his name, and he was a very proud man.

Stepping into the main control centre for the demonstration of his large unit, named the Jet Alone, his plans to usurp NERV and take over command for defeating the Angels, heavily pleased him. Yes, he would do whatever it takes to take down NERV, and turn them into an absolute laughing stock.

"What's our status?" Shiro asked the man sitting at the station in front of him, heavily pleased with the progress of Jet Alone.

"Ready for the testing phase tomorrow, sir. The Jet Alone is currently stable, and ready for initial deployment testing.

"Very good." Shiro complimented, giving the man a short pat on the back, moving to another station.

"Sir."

"How goes our plan?" Shiro asked the man quietly, not wanting anyone suspicious to hear him discuss this topic. The man gulped slightly, getting the bile out of his throat.

"It goes well, sir. The information that you required has been received and is ready to be incorporated into your speech."

"Excellent." Shiro turned towards the doorway, leaving everyone to work in peace. "NERV will not stay standing for much longer. When they find out about the information I have received, they will be disgruntled by the traitor in their midst." Shiro laughed to himself, settling into a comfortable chair and reading over his speech for the next day. "Yes, the Jet Alone will be successful, and with its success. NERV's fall, with their Evangelions and everyone involved with that project with them."

* * *

**August 19th, 2015**

_\- Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I – Track 8 – Misato –_

The popping of the toaster brought the majority of the apartment's occupants to life. Shinji happily bit down on his piece of toast that he had quickly gotten out. Buttering it quickly before savouring the taste. Beside him Sachiel also ate… something, he wasn't sure what. It looked disgusting though. Shamshel was a bit more normal, deciding to have a bit of toast as well. In Shamshel's words, he was, "Trying out a bit of Human Cuisine." Ramiel sat there staring at everyone, not doing anything. Pen-Pen happily ate some of the complete fish that Shinji had set out for him. Grabbing the entire thing with his beak and happily gulping it down whole. Shinji didn't notice, happily eating himself. At peace with himself, and everyone around him.

The sound of a door being pulled open announced Misato's entrance. Shinji glanced up, and stared in shock. Pen Pen dropped his morning fish, not even bothering to pick it up. Misato was there, dressed up in a nice black uniform, already ready for the day. This was highly unusual, as Misato was the type to stay delay waking up as long as she could, and rushing around for her morning routine. Today however, she stood ridged, and ready, at attention.

_– End –_

"Good morning." She announced in a rather formal tone, startling everyone in the room.

"G-g-good morning, Misato." Shinji stuttered out, still in shock.

Stepping into the room briefly, Misato turned to Shinji, giving him to give her his full attention. "Shinji, I'm heading to Old Tokyo on business. I'll most likely be arriving back late tonight, so don't worry about dinner, get some take out or something. Bye." With her final word, the door shut behind Misato, signalling her leave.

"Um, right, okay." Shinji muttered, letting his thoughts run through his head for a moment. "What just happened?"

"Was that Misato?" Shamshel asked.

"Yeah, but she was, actually being formal, and actually ready, and…" Shinji fumbled for words. This was the weirdest experience he had had in Tokyo-3 so far. Forget fighting Angels for his very life, forget piloting one of the most powerful machines in existence. The appearance of Misato, dressed up, and ready to go somewhere, was insane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo! Finally finished! I apologise again for the long wait, as it tires me out to. Two more chapters until you-know-who shows up! Who's looking forward to that? I know I am! Next time: The Jet Alone Project, just what is Shiro hiding?
> 
> Changes (There's a lot more this time):  
Hikari appearing more often. (In the Apartment, and the school scene)  
Altering the dialogue in the conversation between Gendo and that man on his plane. Unit-06 is now Mark. 06, and Unit-08 is name dropped. Unlike the series, the circumstances behind these Units is going to be quite different.  
Two brand new scenes, along with a couple of transition segments, added in to build suspence.  
Shiro Tokita. Just this character. We don't know much about him, so he'd free to be increased in importance. Let's just say, we haven't seen the last of him, not for a long while.


	17. Jet Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misato and Ritsuko attend a demonstration for a new fighting robot. The robot ends up going out of control and requires the help of Shinji inside Unit-01 to restrain it while Misato shuts it down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! It's time for the Jet Alone project! Besides that, this chapter is long, about 10,000 words, so I'm happy that I could get a long and complete chapter out for you. I'd say about 2/3s of this chapter is Episode 7, and the remaining 1/3 is new content to bridge gaps between areas. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the shenanigans of Misato and Ritsuko!

**August 19th, 2015**

The loud engine of the NERV chopper arriving in what was once Central Tokyo, now simply known as the Abandoned Zone, No. 28. Inside, Misato sat watching out the window, Ritsuko sitting close by, both watched as the once lavish landscape spread out in front of them, now dead and decaying due to a nuclear strike years before, after the Second Impact. Misato wrapped her hand around her cross pendant, watching in silence.

"Looking at it now, with nothing around for miles, dead scraps everywhere. It's hard to believe that this place was once the capital of Japan, the flourishing Tokyo."

"We're here." Ritsuko briefly commented, causing Misato to turn towards another window. Odd against the rest of the area around it, a decently sized pure white building stood in the middle of the landscape. A smaller, more compact building nearby, more circular in shape. Misato frowned as she watched the area.

"Why, of all places, did they decide to do this here? Is the SSDF even involved in this project?"

"The Strategic Self Defence Force?" Ritsuko replied, not even looking over at Misato bored in her chair, her attention fully on the computer sitting on her lap in front of her, lighting up her face. "No, they aren't, they're not allowed to interfere in this matter."

"I see." Misato replied, her head resting on her hands. "That explains how they're able to do whatever they like. With a lurch, the chopper began to descend towards the ground, making Misato lose her balance slightly as a result. The chopper headed towards the smaller white building, where an assortment of other choppers, of which representatives from various places where brought, laid out below them, of various colours, the things looked like a piece of artwork a four-year-old would make when looking at it from a distance.

As the chopper landed, Misato and Ritsuko stepped out onto the pavement. Heading immediately towards the nearest entrance, Misato looked extremely bored, while Ritsuko looked calm and patient. Stepping into the nearest lift, they descended towards the floor where the demonstration would be taking place.

Stepping out, they were greeted by a large white and red sign, next to a large door leading into a nice seating area. Unique in that the area also consisted of the Central Control Area for this demonstration, of which Misato had no idea about, only being told to be here. The sign told them that this was the place, reading: 'Celebrating JA Completion. Announcement Commemoration.' Misato and Ritsuko entered quietly, after showing their NERV ID's to the men out front, sporting business suits, and sat down at their designated table.

There was a lot of talk going on around them, Misato continued to look bored, while Ritsuko was staring at one man in particular, a man wearing a lovely blue business suit today, Shiro Tokita was prepared to make his announcement.

The hall quietened considerably once Shiro walked towards the stand and took it. He pulled out his note cards from his breast pocket, and proceeded to speak.

"Hello everyone. I'd like to thank you all for taking some time out of your extremely busy schedules today to attend this demonstration of a new machine that we, the Japan Heavy Chemical Industries are extremely proud off. In a few minutes, we will be observing the official demonstration from this very room, but before we get to that, we'll be taking some time here to answer a few of your questions that I'm sure many of you have."

"Yes!" Ritsuko called out, putting up her hand in a signal of respect.

"Ah, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, famous for your work with NERV. It is an honour to have you here today."

"Thank you." Ritsuko replied sternly, standing to attention. "May I ask a question?"

"Of course, you can, Ritsuko! May I call you Ritsuko?"

"Dr. Akagi is fine. You've said before, during the briefing, that the unit is equipped with a nuclear reactor, correct?"

"That is correct! This reactor is one of the units most distinguished features. The nuclear reactor will guarantee 150 days' worth of continuous operating power."

"I see. But, would you have considered the potential safety precautions constituting the use of a nuclear reactor, especially in a unit that is designed to be used for hand-to-hand combat?"

Shiro smirked as he took a moment to reply. "We believe that the benefits far outweigh the risks. As you would know, 150 days is far better than merely five minutes." Shiro stared directly at Ritsuko, the smirk still on his face.

"But," Ritsuko continued, obviously not going to back down just yet. "If an emergency were to occur, and something happened to the remote-control system, what would happen then?"

"You have to understand, Dr. Akagi. This system is much more humane than a system that causes great mental stress, and causes mental instability on a pilot."

"Cut it out." Misato muttered to herself, flipping a chopstick around in her mouth, finding something to ease her boredom. "You're acting like a child Ritsuko."

Ritsuko didn't hear Misato, and continued to ask Shiro many questions. "There's also the issue of Manual Control."

"I would think, Dr. Akagi, that this unit is much safer than a most dangerous weapon, that has been known to go out of control and run wild in the middle of the city." Shiro pulled out a large document at his comment, the large red words TOP SECRET written on the front. The screen behind him showed some footage of Unit-01 going berserk against Sachiel a month before. "I'm sure most here will agree, that a weapon that cannot be controlled is completely insane! Like a hysterical woman! Completely unmanageable! I'm sure you will agree, Dr. Akagi."

Ritsuko stared back at Shiro, fury written across her face. As the people, around her laughed at the jokes that Shiro was making. They weren't funny, they were extremely sexist. How dare he make jokes at her expense! She glared as she spoke again. "Our technology and the pilots combined are able to control the Eva's."

"You're not saying that Science and the human will tame that beast? Aren't you a scientist Dr. Akagi? Are you being serious here?"

"Yes, of course I'm serious!" Ritsuko replied, offended that this man would think she's being anything less than serious.

"And, because NERV depends of the use of the fragile human heart to power the Evangelions, the organisation that is trying to protect us, is also putting us in danger due to the frequent loss of control, as you've just seen. That is the reason why the UN had to approve that colossal supplementary budget. Because of this, over 20,000 people are starving in several countries, and we must take into account that our entire population was halved when Second Impact occurred. Regardless of it being seen as a critical incident, the causes of said incident are still unknown! I wish that you would at least fulfil that much of your responsibilities, Dr. Akagi! I envy you, I really do. NERV is protected by a large, super-legal act that allows you to avoid the responsibility you should have."

"It doesn't matter what you say. Not to me. The fact of the matter, is that NERV is the only organisation in the world that has the weapons that can defeat the enemy."

"You're talking about the A.T. Field, aren't you? That is simply a matter of time and research." The laughs from the other representatives started to laugh again, rounds of wine continuing to go around. "NERV's ability to stay above the law and do what they want will not last forever."

Misato continued to look bored, as Ritsuko sat down, defeat etched on her face. As the conference continued, Misato and Ritsuko decided to head out, heading towards their own private room. Opening the door that said NERV party, the two women quickly entered the small room. With a quick switch, Misato started to kick and punch the lockers nearby, letting her feelings on the matter out immediately.

"That fucking idiot! Who do those fat cats think we are!? This is just a pay check for them, being able to get out of the profit loop! I am so pissed off! I want to take that smug face of his and shove it up his own ass! How dare he! And then, I'll stuff that wannabe's face into this locker, and then kick the fuck out of it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Misato continued to kick the locker, denting the metal in the process, anger pouring out of her system.

"Cut it out!" Ritsuko's stern voice cut through the air. "You're acting completely childish, Misato!" Ristuko herself was having her own revenge, having taken that booklet for the project, detailing its various features and abilities, and was busy burning it to ashes with her lighter. "The man is just a show off. I've seen them before. They beg for praise. He's petty, small, not worthy of attention."

"I get that Ritsuko!" Misato replied, still standing before the locker. "But how did that smug fuck know about the A.T. Field!?"

"What I'm more concerned about is how something kept incredibly classified got leaked to the world."

"Intelligence must be on a good fucking holiday."

* * *

"Where's Misato, Shinji?" Kensuke asked as their small group sat together during the break. Shinji smiled slightly, knowing he couldn't give a proper answer.

"She's out somewhere important for NERV. I can't say more than that." Shinji replied, knowing that the military geek would be annoyed at this answer, but that was the best he could do. Shinji himself didn't know exactly what Misato was currently attending, and whether it would be fine or not. "NERV keeps a lot of things under wrap, Kensuke. Us pilots barely know anything."

"Ikari is correct." Rei stated, staring at her lap.

"Are you okay, Rei?" Hikari asked, worry for the other girl coming through, her mother-like instincts kicking in due to her home life.

"I'm fine." Rei replied simply, silently eating her bento. "Don't worry about it."

"Okay, if you say so, Rei." Hikari replied, glancing over at Shinji. Shinji shrugged, despite knowing Rei the best of everyone there, he still didn't really know her that well. Maybe that was something that needed to be changed at a later date. He didn't know why, but he felt like he knew Rei for some reason. He couldn't quite place it though.

As the group headed back towards their class for the rest of the day, everyone's thoughts were at different places. Shinji's thoughts were on Rei, wondering just who she was, and why his father had a close relationship with her. Rei's thoughts were once again on friends, and how helpful they were. She felt, wanted, something that she hadn't felt in her life. It was unknown to her. Toji and Kensuke's thoughts were firmly on Misato, and what they would've liked to do with her. Hikari's thoughts were on both Toji, and Rei, love and affection for Toji, and motherly concern for Rei.

As the group sat down for class, the teacher once again entered the room, greeted them all, then started to drone about Second Impact. The collective groan that went through the classroom at this was the same as it was any other day. The collective started to either sleep, or talk to each other on the laptops.

Shinji glanced down as a message notification came through, clicking it, the text came up.

_Toji: This guy is so boring! How is he still doing this?_

_Kensuke: I don't know Toji, but it doesn't change, every single day. Was your last school ever like this, Shinji?_

_Shinji: No, I actually learnt stuff there, I dealt more with hate from everyone._

_Rei: Why were you hated, Ikari?_

_Shinji: It's not a pretty story, but it was because of my father._

_Kensuke: Your father?_

_Shinji: Yeah, I'd gained a reputation as the kid who had been abandoned by his father, which in turn produced some interesting and false stories about why exactly my father abandoned me._

_Toji: Do you know why?_

_Shinji: Not really. I know that I hate him, but that's about it._

_Rei: Why do you hate Commander Ikari?_

_Shinji: Because he left me behind, right after my mother died! Then proceeded to pretend I didn't exist! I was only a tool to him! Only waiting to call me until I was needed! Why do you think I'm even here!_

_Toji: Sorry, Shin-man, I didn't know he was that bad._

_Shinji: Why do you think I live with Misato?_

_Kensuke: Fair enough. Although, you saying your mother is dead is interesting._

_Shinji: Why's that?_

_Toji: Because everyone in this class has no mother, Shinji. Not even one._

_Shinji: Rei?_

_Rei: Yes?_

_Shinji: Do you know your mother?_

_Rei: I never had a mother._

_Toji: Same with Hikari, that's why she does all the cooking and chores at her home._

_Kensuke: How do you know this?_

_Toji: No reason!_

_Shinji: That was quick._

_Kensuke: Very quick._

_Shinji: Too quick._

_Toji: Shut up! I swear I will get you two back one day!_

_Shinji: You're the one that has a crush!_

_Toji: Shut up!_

_Kensuke: Toji and Hikari, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!_

_Hikari: Kensuke if you don't shut up right now, I'll put you on cleaning duty after school today!_

_Kensuke: But, Hikari!_

_Hikari: Zip it! And be quiet! At least some people are trying to pay attention here!_

_Shinji: Sorry, Hikari._

_Toji: Say, do you guys want to hang out after school?_

_Shinji: Where?_

_Toji: There's a new karaoke bar in the city, maybe we could check it out._

_Shinji: Sounds good._

_Rei: Karaoke?_

_Shinji: Basically, you sing along to an instrumental of a song, and the lyrics appear so you know exactly what to sing._

_Rei: Okay. It sounds… fun._

_Toji: Great! So that's everyone._

_Hikari: Don't assume anything, Toji._

_Toji: Right, sorry. Hikari, are you coming?_

_Hikari: Yes, of course. Now zip it!_

* * *

Minutes later, Misato and Ritsuko returned to the hall as if nothing had happened. The large curtains lining the back of the hall had now been opened, showcasing the large white building that had been seen from the chopper. The white casing was now opening, revealing the unit inside. The unit had a colour scheme very similar to Unit-00, being largely white, with orange highlights all around it. As the building completely opened, the machine stood to attention.

_\- NGE: S2 Works – Disc 3, Track 4 – E-2 (Without Brass) –_

"Attention everyone, we are now ready to begin the long-awaited activation test of the Jet Alone Unit."

"Don't worry about anything folks, we have everything completely under control."

"Please, make yourselves comfortable, and watch through the giant window in front of you for this magnificent event." Shiro smiled as many people stood up and headed to the window, binoculars in their hands, ready for viewing. He smirked as Misato and Ritsuko stood off to the side, leaning against the wall.

"The Jet Alone is ready for activation, Mr. Tokita."

"Excellent. Begin the test."

"Discharging power cords."

"Pressure levels nominal."

"Circulation of coolant systems is normal."

"Release the control rods!' The Jet Alone began to extend six long beams out of its back towards the sky, giving the robot a unique look, with six beams sitting out behind its head.

"Reactor has exceeded threshold levels."

"Output is nominal." The eyes of Jet Alone lit up in a flurry of blue lights from its black off setting, before settling into a nice white, signifying that Jet Alone was now ready for activation. Shiro Tokita watched, a smile on his face as his creation stood at the ready.

"Begin the walk cycle!" He commanded, his eyes staying entirely on the Jet Alone.

"Walking. Forward ahead, slow, forward right leg."

"Roger. Walk, forward, slow ahead." On the system in front of Shiro, a light activated, lighting up one of the options on the system. Activating, the Jet Alone took its first step, it's giant right foot crashing to the ground, but completely fine. The Jet Alone stood still, after taking its first step.

"Balance is nominal. Power core status is nominal."

"Roger. Now, move forward, left leg. Keep her steady." The light flickered again, another option lighting up on the system. Shiro, proud of his achievements, watched with a small smile, happy that everything was going to plan. As this was happening, the Jet Alone began to make consistent movements. It started slow, with the left and right legs moving slowly, one at a time. Eventually, the technicians got used to moving the Jet Alone, and began to move the Unit at a steadier pace. Slowly speeding up till the Unit was walking like any other human.

"Wow! They're incredibly lucky that this thing actually walks!" Misato said as she watched with her own set of binoculars. "I guess they have something to be proud of after all." She said mockingly, hearing Ritsuko laugh silently beside her. While Ritsuko did laugh at her friends' comment, Ritsuko was staring hard at the technicians and Shiro at the back of the room, letting no emotions show.

Shiro was startled by a loud beep coming from a console near him, he glanced over slightly, no worry on his face. "What's wrong?" He asked, his eyes staring at the monitor.

"Something odd is happening." The man at the console replied, staring ahead.

"What do you mean?" Shiro asked, annoyance starting to form.

"The pressure inside the nuclear reactor is increasing. We don't have any idea how this is happening though."

"In addition," The man sitting at the other side of Shiro noted. "The primary coolant system inside the Jet Alone Unit is also increasing in temperature at an alarming rate!" Shiro stepped forward, no worry on his face.

"Release the open valve. Insert the neutron-deceleration fluid into the Jet Alone. We should be able to stop this."

"No effect, Mr. Tokita! The pump output in the Unit isn't increasing!" As the man said this, the systems started to go haywire, more problems arising in a very short amount of time. As this happened, Jet Alone continued to walk towards them, not slowing, showing no signs of stopping. Shiro stared out the window, his smug smile and arrogant demeanour gone. Replaced with massive worry for himself and his project.

"I've had enough of this! Shut off all power! Send the Jet Alone Unit into an emergency stop!"

"Abort transmission signal confirmed!"

"Jet Alone is not accepting the transmission! The radio circuitry has been blocked by an unknown means!" Shiro stared in horror as Jet Alone continued to step forward, he stared ahead as the words he didn't want to hear were said. "The Jet Alone Unit is out of control!"

"This can't be happening! I had everything right! Everything planned out! Why is this happening now! I will not be…" Shiro was cut off by the utter commotion happening below, shouts and cries started to go around as it became apparent that the Jet Alone was not going to stop moving towards them. This became very apparent when the foot of Jet Alone smashed through the roof of the building, sending debris everywhere, despite this, the Jet Alone destroyed the roof in a couple more steps, before heading onwards, directly towards the nearest destination.

Misato glanced out through the foot shaped hole in the roof. It had become extremely apparent that something had gone horribly wrong. She coughed slightly as she steadied herself, muttering to herself the entire time. "This robot is an arrogant as the man who built the blasted thing."

The sirens blared around them, WARNING written perfectly across as this became the main subject of conversation for anyone who had not been badly injured in the attack by the Unit they had come to view as a demonstration.

_\- End –_

"The compression valve is operating irregularly!"

"The control rods aren't working!" Both men at the stations were starting to freak out, as the constant DANGER sign kept appearing at their workstations.

"At this rate, the possibility of a complete meltdown occurring is imminent!"

Shiro stood in shock, unable to comprehend what had just occurred. "I don't believe it. This was impossible! Jet Alone's on board programming was specifically made to handle all possible contingencies. This kind of thing simply could not happen!"

Misato stood right in front of him. A glare sitting snugly on her face. Shiro stared at her, indifference coming across in his mannerisms. "Yet, you'll find that we now face a possible complete meltdown of a nuclear reactor! We cannot afford to have this happen again, not after something of a similar magnitude happened to Old Tokyo years ago."

"To only thing we can do now, Ms. Katsuragi, is to wait for the Jet Alone to stop moving."

"And, please tell me. What is the exact estimated probability for the blasted thing to actually stop and stay still!"

"0.00002% Major! It would be a miracle if such a thing were to happen! An Act of God!"

"Acts of Men can make a much more determined effort than simply waiting for an Act of God to occur!" Misato replied, her commanding tone already coming across in her speech. "Please tell me, Mr. Tokita," She spat, letting her disdain for the man drip in her words. "There has to be another way to stop that thing!"

Shiro simply stood and watching silently, before settling on saying one thing. "We've tried every possible option, Major Katsuragi." Shiro had decided to address the woman by her title now, as he knew his command of the operation was long gone. Misato frowned, letting herself think for a moment.

"There has to be another way! And don't you dare tell me otherwise Tokita! A way to at least wipe the thing clean, wipe everything from the system! Tell me the password."

"The password to delete all the programming on the Jet Alone is Top Secret, Major. I apologise to inform you, but I do not have the authority to give you this password. I'm sorry, but I can't afford to tell you."

"Then you better get the clearance!" Misato replied, angry at the day's events. "I'm the Major here, so you will follow my orders! Understood?"

"Yes, Major. Of course, Major." Shiro replied, fear racking his features as he went towards the Phone, intent on getting the password. Misato smiled in satisfaction as the man did this.

"Yes, this is Tokita. Let me speak to Mr. Manda in Tokyo-2. Yes, the Director of Internal Affairs. I don't have time for your slowness!" Shiro argued, his grasp on the Japanese language slipping as he worried more and more.

"Well, I'll have to delegate this to Yasugi." The man on the other end of the line replied, boredom in his voice. "Call him." Shiro frowned as he put the phone down and tried again, calling a different number. Misato continued to frown at the man as he did this, watching as Shiro picked up the phone again, the sound of a club hitting a golf ball came across the speaker. Shiro quickly explained the situation to the man, fear and pleading in his voice.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Tokita. But I can't give the authorisation for such an important matter over a simple phone. Would you be able to submit a formal written response?"

"So, I just need to get Mr. Yoshizawa's permission?" Shiro asked, knowing the number of eyes that were currently on him at this very moment. "What? Yes, I already have an approval from Mr. Witz. Yes… yes, okay."

"Beaurocracy is simply an evasion of responsibility…" Misato commented as Shiro put the Phone down, turning back to Misato.

"A written order of clearance will be sent Major. I'll give you the password then. That will make this an official operation."

"You absolute idiot!" Misato cried, anger pouring out of her. "We don't have the time! We can't wait that long! While we sit here on our asses, waiting for an answer! That thing could already be on the way to exploding, and sending the world to shit once again! Once the reactor in Jet Alone redlines, it'll be too late, Tokita! I'd take a moment to think about your place here, and exactly what you have done!"

* * *

Jet Alone continued on its path. It's speed having increased since it had crushed the building moments ago. The movement was very smooth, and quick for a robot of its size.

* * *

Misato's tirade was interrupted by an announcement over the system, indicating that Jet Alone was currently on a path towards Atsugi. Misato frowned, and turned back to Shiro. "Time's running out, Tokita. It's time to make a choice." Shiro didn't reply, simply watching her. "From here on out, I'll be taking command of this operation myself. You can wait here, and you will do nothing to interrupt this." The woman quickly explained her plan to the men around her, who quickly accepted and prepared everything for the mission. Ritsuko frowned at Misato as she walked past with one of the technicians, who was leading her to a room out back.

As she walked, she noticed the various other rooms in this building, designed entirely for any kind of operation as needed. The man stopped quickly, swiping a key card, the door opened, revealing several hazmat suits. He turned, studying her for a moment, before turning back to the suits. Misato raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment as the man presented her with a hazmat suit. "Use this at all times." He said, handing it to her. "It'll be filled with radiation inside, so this will protect you."

"Thank you." Misato replied, giving him a quick smile.

"I hope you do succeed. It'll bring Shiro down a peg." He laughed slightly, before returning to the main room. Misato grinned, before dashing towards the NERV room, quickly swiping her NERV card and entering.

_-Neon Genesis Evangelion OST II – Track 12 – Spending Time in Preparation –_

As soon as she entered, she quickly stripped off once the door shut behind her. Placing the hazmat suit she was given on a table beside her, she pulled on a pink nightie, with the intention of having a light, easy to manoeuvre outfit underneath the large hasmat suit. As she pulled on the pink clothing, she pulled out the phone, and called up NERV HQ, the line connecting immediately. "Hey, Hyuga?" She didn't give Makoto on the other end the time to say anything immediately, taking command herself. "I've arranged to take command of an operation at this blasted activation test for the Jet Alone with the staff here and the city of Atsugi. I want you to roll out the transport with both Shinji and Unit-01 for immediate backup, equipped with F-Type equipment. Yes, Hyuga, this is an emergency!" Misato replied, annoyed as she walked towards the hazmat suit. Ritsuko stood nearby, watching silently.

"This is ridiculous Major Katsuragi. Call this off immediately. Besides, do you even have a plan on how to stop it."

"I'll override the computer." Misato replied, her purple hair whipping around as she faced Ritsuko. "By inputting the override code manually." She smiled at Ritsuko, as she usually did when she presented her insane plans, and stepped into the hazmat suit, pulling it on quickly, she grabbed the helmet and held it in her arms. Her suit was white, with a large tank at the back, presumably for oxygen. She stepped back out of the room and back towards the viewing/dining area.

As she walked through the halls, she noticed the large NERV transport carrier flying through the air, the unmistakable purple body of Evangelion Unit-01 sitting snugly underneath. She smiled as the transport flew towards the ground, preparing to touch down slowly to prevent any large damage to the large robot.

With a smirk, Misato stepped back into the viewing centre. Her suit ready to go. Shiro turned to her, taking in her appearance. "Are you sure about this?" He asked, astonished that the woman even considered putting her life on the line for his machine.

"Yes." Misato replied simply, determination laced in her voice.

"But the inside of the Jet Alone Unit will be filled with radioactivity!" Shiro commented, letting his thoughts be known. "You're insane!"

"But if I succeed, then everyone here, as well as in and around Atsugi, will be saved." Misato replied, annoyed that Shiro even considered anything different. Misato and Shiro stared at each other, not letting anything change their views. The sound of one of the technicians smashing a glass casing with a fire axe made them turn away from each other.

"The hatch to enter the inside of Jet Alone is able to be opened manually, but only when we cut out control signal." The man with the axe said, ready to push the button when required.

"You'll be able to enter the Unit through the large backpack." Another man said, pulling a wire apart. Misato made a noise of confirmation, giving the two men a slight nod.

"Hope." Misato turned back to Shiro, who couldn't look at her anymore. He was staring at the wall in disbelief. "Hope is the password. Use it to delete all the programming." Misato turned, prepared to leave. However, she stopped. She turned slightly, so her face could be seen, before she left, she uttered two words.

"Thank you."

* * *

The group of five quickly left the classroom and headed out as school ended, intent on spending a good quality amount of time away from the boring lesson they commonly had. As the group headed towards the entrance of the school, the sound of buzzing came from Shinji's jeans pocket. He frowned as he looked down at his NERV issued phone, he glanced over at Rei, who simply nodded at him. "Sorry guys, we won't be able to go to the karaoke place."

"NERV?" Toji asked, frowning.

"Yeah, something's gone wrong." Shinji simply said, as he and Rei quickly left, heading towards the nearest shuttle to NERV HQ.

The two pilots quickly swiped their NERV ID cards and entered the large pyramid. They quickly made their way through the large and confusing complex, heading straight for Central Dogma. As they arrived, they noticed that everyone was hard at work, Maya and Shigeru sat at their stations, running data. Makoto unusually, was not there. Shinji and Rei's entrance alerted the Bridge Bunnies to their presence in the large room.

"Shinji, Rei, there you are." Maya noted. "Something's happened at the place where the Major and Dr. Akagi are currently at."

"Quick question, Miss. Ibuki. What are they at exactly?"

"Well," Maya replied, turning to the large screen at the centre of the room. "Dr. Akagi and Major Katsuragi were attending a demonstration for a new superweapon, one intended to combat the Angels as a rival to our Evangelions. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your view," Shigeru laughed from his own station as he heard this, intent on letting Maya handle the work here. "The Unit, called the Jet Alone, has a nuclear reactor, and the thing has completely lost control and is heading quickly towards Atsugi. It's also currently nearing a nuclear meltdown, which we don't want to happen."

"So that's where Misato was." Shinji noted, staring at the large white mech on the screen in front of him.

"Yes," Maya replied. "Makoto is getting ready to head out, Unit-01 is already hooked up to the transport, we just need you to get changed and get ready to go. Understood, Shinji?"

"Yes."

"What about me? What am I to do?" Rei asked, standing behind Shinji, only bringing the attention to herself when she needed it.

"Rei, you are staying here, on standby, Unit-00 is also hooked up, and ready to head out on a different transport if necessary. However, we will only send you out if Shinji and Unit-01 fail to restrain the Unit."

"Understood."

"Okay, go get changed you two. Shinji, Makoto is waiting in the docking bay, you'll head out as soon as you've arrived. Rei, you will wait here in Central Dogma, and we will get you out if we need to." Both pilots nodded and ran towards the nearest elevators to head down to the Eva Cages level, where the changing room and their plugsuits were.

Once inside, the two pilots quickly stripped off their clothing and grabbed their plugsuits from the lockers. Two sounds of pressurising plugsuits were heard as both pilots pressed the button on their wrists, leaving the two pilots with a second skin. They both exited the room, quickly heading towards their respective places. Shinji to meet Makoto, and Rei back to Central Dogma, with Maya and Shigeru.

Makoto smiled as Shinji entered the docking area, waving him over. "Alright Shinji, Major Katsuragi has called us in to help out with this rampaging robot. Unit-01's already hooked up, and I took the liberty to call over the Angels."

"It was good you did! You might not have been able to take down this thing without us!"

"Sachiel, I don't think we're going to be destroying the robot." Shamshel replied, floating beside his brother.

"What! What's the point of doing this if not to destroy!" Sachiel replied, grumbling to himself. Ramiel simply floated, not bothering to even say anything.

"Alright," Makoto said, getting into the pilot's seat, and setting up for take-off. "Ready to go save the world again, Shinji?" Shinji laughed slightly, settling into his own seat, as the transport took off and headed towards Old Tokyo.

* * *

The sound of the transport's engines blaring swept across the pavement of the otherwise silent testing facility. The transport quickly flew into the air, where it headed quickly and efficiently towards the Jet Alone Unit. Inside, Misato sat across from Shinji, who was already ready and in his plugsuit. Shamshel floated next to him, while Sachiel and Ramiel sat on the benches beside him. Misato spoke, alerting Shinji to the current operation.

"Jet Alone is our target. There's an imminent danger of a complete meltdown in about five minutes." Misato warned, sitting with her arms on her knees. "Because of this, we cannot allow the thing to get within distance of a populated area. Understood?"

"Yes, Misato." Shinji replied, a hard and determined look in his eyes. Misato smiled at him, before going back into business mode.

"Hyuga?"

"Yes, Major?" Makoto replied from his pilot's seat, having turned his head slightly to view Misato.

"As soon as you drop Unit-01, break away immediately and get to a safe altitude as quickly as possible. Once there, wait for immediate pickup."

"Roger."

"Shinji?" Misato asked, turning back to the boy in question, allowing herself a smile at the small amount of growth Shinji had gone through since he arrived about a month beforehand.

"Yes."

"Run alongside the target, so that you can place me on its back. Once I'm am safely and successfully on the target, I want you to restrain the thing as best as you can."

"I believe I can help with that, Major." Shamshel stated, turning Misato's attention to him. "As you know, us Angel's can enter the Eva's core, allowing us to give the Eva extra abilities for a short period of time. I am able to give the Eva my tendrils, which it can use the help restrain the Unit." Shamshel commented. Misato nodded in satisfaction, happy that things were coming together.

"Excellent Shamshel. Understand, Shinji?"

"Wait a minute." Shinji said, his face staring back at Misato in a mixture of horror and worry. "You want to climb onto that thing!? So that you can break into it!?"

"That's right." Misato replied, her smile never leaving her face.

"That's crazy, Misato! You could get hurt, or worse killed! I don't want that to happen!"

"Shinji's right, Misato." Makoto noted from the front seat. "This is an incredibly dangerous mission, Major. Something could go horribly wrong."

"I know that it's crazy, Shinji. And I know that I'm putting my life of the line, Hyuga. But this is the only choice we have. The only chance to prevent a catastrophe from breaking out."

"Don't you understand, Misato!" Shinji cried once again. "This is too dangerous! Listen to Hyuga!"

"Don't worry about it, Shinji." Misato replied, tilting her head slightly. If it comes down to it, and you need to use Unit-01 itself to restrain the Jet Alone, then the armour, combined with F-Type Equipment, will be able to resist a possible explosion."

"That's not what I mean, Misato! I'm not concerned about the Eva! I'm concerned about you!"

Misato smiled sadly, letting Shinji know of her own insecurities and thoughts of this mission. Her real thoughts. "I know, Shinji. But I've got to give this my best shot. My conscience won't let me do otherwise." Shinji stared back at her, before his face hardened again, letting the woman know that he was ready, as much as he didn't like it.

"I'm sure you'll be fine, Misato." Sachiel commented, from his perch on the bench. "You'll be able to do it! You've just got to believe in yourself!"

"Yes."

"Thanks, guys."

"Major." Makoto's voice from the cockpit repelled around the small area. "The target has been sighted."

_\- End –_

Shinji and Misato stared out of the small area they were in, were the unmistakable white body of Jet Alone moved swiftly below them. Still on route towards Atsugi.

"Right." Misato called out, moving towards the docking bay for Unit-01 with Shinji. "Let's move out!" Misato moved out of the room, followed quickly by Shinji. Shinji settled himself into the already opened Entry Plug and let himself be sealed inside the Eva. He relaxed as the plug filled with LCL, connecting him to the giant beast.

Outside, in the docking bay, Misato stood ready on the side, helmet securely on her head, prepared to hop onto Unit-01. As discussed, Unit-01's hand opened, palm first. Misato stepped over onto the purple plating, and immediately felt the hand start to grip slightly, enough so that she was safe, and not being suffocated by the Units tight and powerful grip.

_\- Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I – Track 10 – NERV –_

With a lurch, Unit-01 became to move backwards at a brisk but slow pace. The entire setup of the restraints moving alongside it, so Unit-01 could be dropped at the precise time. From inside the Entry Plug, Shinji could hear the voice of Makoto over the com line. "Eva Unit-01 currently in drop position." Misato also heard the voice, as Shinji had opened Unit-01's speakers, allowing her to hear anything she needed to.

"Understood. Prepare for dropping of Evangelion Unit-01!" Misato called, from her place in Unit-01's left hand.

"Roger!" Shinji replied, flipping a switch, causing the bolts above to flick up, allowing Unit-01 to slide of the restraints, as the transport continued to fly forward. Once free, the Evangelion began its free fall towards the ground.

The Eva Unit landed briskly, balancing out, then setting off towards Jet Alone at a run, Misato held tightly in front. Above, the transport jet quickly flew upwards, away from a possible explosion, as Unit-01 quickened its pace.

"We've caught up with it!" Shinji cried out, glancing over at Shamshel. Shamshel nodded and floated into the core of Unit-01.

Shamshel stared around him, taking in the surroundings. It was red. Very red. That was about it, as he settled into being, he thought he saw something, but couldn't exactly place it. Pushing the thought out of his mind, he settled in.

Outside, Unit-01 grew Shamshel's famous tendrils from its stomach, a grand total of six tendrils came into being, a massive help for when holding Jet Alone was required. Misato stared ahead, satisfied as she felt the heat of the radiation inside Jet Alone. "Alright, Shinji we have less than four minutes. Put me on now!"

As Unit-01 one came right behind Jet Alone, he used his arm to grab onto the handle at the back of the backpack. Pulling to slow Jet Alone down in its path. The tendrils whipped out and latched themselves around the body of Jet Alone, pulling the Unit into complete restraint. Despite being completely stopped in terms of movement. The arms of Jet Alone continued to flail back and forth, never slowing. As this happened, Unit-01's feet began to sink into the surface, breaking the ground underneath apart. Misato noticed this, and called out again. "Don't worry about it, Shinji! Just put me on, now!"

Shinji directed Unit-01's hand towards the small hatch on Jet Alone's backpack, and Misato directed herself towards it. She dropped down, getting a hold of the side of Jet Alone. Her grip wasn't good enough, as the constant struggle between the two machines caused Misato to slip and fall.

"No!"

"Misato!"

"Tetris!" Thankfully, Misato used her quick reflexes and grabbed onto the side of the Unit, pulling herself back up the machine. Shinji sighed in relief as Misato continued to climb.

"Be careful." He said gratefully as Misato nodded back, her smile on her face. She gave him a peace sign as she came up on the hatch. She twisted to emergency handle, before pulling it out of its socket. The hatch opened, and a rush of heat greeted Misato. She stared at the red insides, her breath already feeling heavy. "Geez, talk about hot. I've got a bad feeling about this."

_\- End –_

As Misato stared down the hatch, Jet Alone continued to struggle, it's tight hold preventing the beast from moving. "Jesus Christ! Tell that thing to stop moving, Shinji!" Sachiel said, crossing his arms over his chest as Shinji and Unit-01 moved around the beast, the tendrils moving with them, to the front of Jet Alone. Digging Unit-01's feet into the ground, Shinji forcefully pushed hard on Jet Alone's front, preventing the thing from moving very far. Shinji stared hard as the effort started to get to him. With a brief burst, a valve on Jet Alone started steaming air, Shinji quickly moved one of Unit-01's hands over to cover it, but knew it won't be long before he wouldn't be able to handle this.

"Misato! Hurry up! This thing is started to fall apart at the seams!"

Inside, Misato glanced at her map, before glancing up. The large door in front of her read, quite clearly: Caution. Auxiliary Control Room. Emergency Only. Misato smirked as she took in the door. "Looks like I've found it." She moved over to the panel on the right side of the door. She smiled as she punched the panel, causing the door to open with a quick swoosh. "Thing deserved it." She noted as she stepped into the now open room.

The room was small, with many pipes and control circuits around her. In front of her was a panel, with a card reader next to it. Swiping her NERV card, the reader flashed red in the red room, immediately opening the panel for access.

Misato watched as all the information on Jet Alone came rushing out. The circuits doing their job. The red designs and patterns were replaced quickly, with a simple black screen, PASSWORD written in red. She typed in the word Hope, and with a smile pressed the enter key.

_– NGE: S2 Works – Disc 3, Track 18 – E-10 (Rhythm Only) –_

ERROR

Misato looked shocked as the screen blared at her. "Error? What the hell is going on here?" With a frown, she punched in Hope again.

ERROR

The flashing red shone in Misato's face, she stared ahead of her, realisation dawning. "The program was altered!" With a crash, Misato fell over slightly, as the entire Unit rocked around.

Outside, Unit-01 continued to hold Jet Alone in place, the Tendrils doing their job well. The entire Unit collapsed slightly, at the same time, more jets of steam appeared between the fingers of Unit-01. Shinji quickly moved the other hand of Unit-01 over to cover the steam as much as possible, Shamshel's added tendrils keeping Jet Alone in place. This didn't help much, as the steam moved to another place to rush out, coming out very quickly, in a large quantity, through the backpack of Jet Alone.

* * *

DANGER

That's what the computers in the main viewing area displayed as things continued to spiral downhill. The fuel bundle graph showed the Jet Alone's fuel depleting at a rapid rate. The man at this station noticed this, voicing his concerns immediately. "Sir! Jet Alone's power reactor is just 0.2 short of critical!"

"The control rods still won't function!" Another man shouted out as Shiro watched in horror and resignation. They couldn't see Jet Alone at all, they only had to go on what the monitors were telling them.

Ritsuko watched silently from the side, letting no emotion show.

* * *

Misato breathed heavily in the bleak redness of the insides. The radiation eating away at both her and her suit. "Time for a long shot." She noted, standing up slowly. "Guess it's time to sink or swim." She walked over to the nearest Control Rod. The back ends of which sat out in the red room. She pushed as hard as she could, aiming to push it into place. With some effort, she managed to get the thing to move slightly, continuing to push with all her effort.

Outside, Unit-01 watched silently as more pockets of steam started to fly out of Jet Alone at an alarming rate. By this point, there was too many steam jets to cover with Unit-01, so Shinji hoped for the best. "Come on, Misato!" He said. "You need to get out of there!"

"Move, goddammit!" Misato cried as she continued to push hard on the control rod. She was making progress, but it was moving very slowly.

Jet Alone continued to stay still, more and more jets steaming out at a fast rate. Shinji cried out, as he began to feel the heat from inside Jet Alone reach him. Shamshel was almost at the end of his own tether, but committed himself to staying inside the core as long as possible, purely so Shinji didn't have to keep the Unit stopped by himself.

Misato continued to push, the pain starting to get to her. Yet, the Control Rod continued to move at a very slow pace.

* * *

The monitor continued to show the fuel bundle, itself almost at critical level. "0.1 to critical!" The man sitting there said, as the realisation of what was about to happen dawned. "It's no use! There's nothing we can do now! Jet Alone is going to explode!"

"It's all over." Shiro said, dejected, as he turned away from the monitors.

* * *

"Misato!"

"She'll come out of this. She has to." Sachiel said as Jet Alone started to writhe about in their grip.

Inside, Misato continued pushing, her strength almost completely out, just before she collapsed to the ground, the monitor behind her gave a beep, and started to spread out green text. The Control Rods slipped out as they should, and Misato slumped to the ground, completely spent. She stared up in horror as it looked like the giant robot was going to explode, before the room started to cool, and changed to a cool green colour.

_– End –_

Outside, Jet Alone finally stopped issuing steam, and the Control Rods retracted into a still state. With a lurch, Jet Alone slumped over, finally turned off, Nuclear Meltdown no longer imminent. Shinji stared as Shamshel came flying out of the Eva's core, completely unconscious due to the effort required to stay inside the core. In response, Unit-01 returned to its normal state. Tendrils retracted and disappearing.

* * *

With a loud beep, the monitors in the control centre successfully returned to normal. The fuel bundle returning to its normal state. The man cheered as this happened. "She did it! We're all safe!"

"Internal pressure lowering! All readings are nominal!"

A loud cheer came out as everyone heard the news about Jet Alone. Shiro smiled sincerely as this occurred, happy that his creation hadn't gone to complete waste.

Despite this, Ritsuko continued to stand stock still, staring out at the commotion in front of her. Not letting anything away. "Crazy fool. What an idiot." She commented as she stood in the commotion around her.

* * *

Unit-01 stood still, still holding onto Jet Alone in case anything happened, as Sachiel held onto Shamshel's unconscious body, Ramiel floated beside Shinji's head, feeling the same things he did. Worrying about Misato. "Misato! Are you there!? Please tell me you're okay!"

Inside, Misato sat in the green room, relaxed against the wall, taking in the effort that she just went through. "Yeah," She replied, not moving much. "I'm okay, but I feel like absolute shit." She chuckled slightly, as Shinji's voice came over Unit-01's speakers.

"You're alive!? Thank goodness, Misato! Who would've looked after me and the Angels if you'd gone!?" Misato smiled, letting Shinji's comment sink in. "I can't believe you did it." He continued. "That was so amazing, Misato! That really was a miracle!"

"Yeah…" Misato replied, looking up, letting one thought through her head. 'But it was completely out of nowhere. This miracle was set up by someone, and I want to know who it is.' Misato stood slowly, letting her muscles get used to the cooler air. She struggled slightly while she headed towards the entrance of the room, her bones aching after the amount of effort it took to push that control rod.

As she exited the room the emergency door locked behind her, she payed it no mind as she made her way back to the entrance on the backpack. She climbed up slowly, moving as to not cause too much damage to herself. The sunlight blinded her as she exited, she shielded her eyes, taking in the increased light. With a final sigh, she took off her helmet, allowing her lungs to be filled with oxygen once again. She breathed it in heavily, letting it come through her system.

Unit-01's giant purple body moved into Misato's view. She smiled as she waved at Shinji, who she knew was inside. She collapsed against the Evangelion, falling into unconsciousness after a stressful few minutes inside of a toasting Jet Alone. The sounds of the transport returning to the scene did nothing to rouse her, and she was quickly taken away with Unit-01 and Shinji, on their way back to NERV.

* * *

**August 20th, 2015**

Ritsuko walked quickly and swiftly towards Commander Ikari's Office. Intent on reporting on the Jet Alone incident to the Commander directly. The guards outside nodded as the doors opened, the darkness foreboding inside. She stepped inside, and waited to be greeted.

"Dr. Akagi?" Gendo Ikari asked, his hands folded in front of his face.

"The Jet Alone Unit experienced a path towards a catastrophic nuclear meltdown. Shiro Tokita, the head behind the project, was not able to predict that something like this would happen. Major Katsuragi came up with a plan to stop the Unit, putting her life in danger in the process. Because of this, Unit-01 was brought in the deal with the large Unit. Recovery of Evangelion Unit-01 is complete. There's no danger of radioactive contamination, Unit-01 has already been checked out in that area. Except for the actions of Major Katsuragi, everything went according to plan." Ritsuko said, as she stood in front of Gendo Ikari in his usually dark office.

"Good work." Gendo simply replied, letting his smirk show underneath his folded hands. Ritsuko nodded swiftly, then left the darkened office.

* * *

Misato frowned as she lay against the bedspread in NERV's hospital division. She had been taken here directly after her ambitious plan to stop the Jet Alone project from having a catastrophic meltdown. She sighed as she played with the flimsy material on her hospital gown, letting her annoyance show.

The door opened, and in the doorway stood Shinji, he smiled when he saw her, knowing that she was now safe. "Misato, you're alright!"

"Of course, I am, Shinji!" Misato replied, her playful tone returning. "Nothing can stop me, not even radiation!"

"I know that now Misato." Shinji replied, turning towards the entrance again. "I need to get home, cook dinner and stuff. Will you be out soon?"

"Yes, Shinji. Just need to be given the a-ok!" Shinji smiled, leaving the room quickly. Misato lay back again, letting her thoughts and feelings on the previous day's events wash over her. To her, fantasising about killing Shiro Tokita brought a lot of joy.

* * *

**August 21st, 2015**

_– NGE: S2 Works – Disc 2, Track 14 – B-16 (Misato, Rhythm Only) –_

The popping of the toaster brought the majority of the apartment's occupants to life. Shinji happily bit down on his piece of toast that he had quickly gotten out. Buttering it quickly before savouring the taste. Beside him Sachiel also ate… something, he wasn't sure what. It looked disgusting though. Shamshel was a bit more normal, deciding to have a bit of toast as well. In Shamshel's words, he was, "Trying out a bit of Human Cuisine." Ramiel sat there staring at everyone, not doing anything. Pen-Pen happily ate some of the complete fish that Shinji had set out for him. Grabbing the entire thing with his beak and happily gulping it down whole. Shinji didn't notice, happily eating himself. At peace with himself, and everyone around him.

The sound of a door being pulled open announced Misato's entrance. Still wearing her night clothes, Misato yawned as she massaged he stomach, groaning in annoyance at the day ahead. "G'morning, Shinji, Angels." She mumbled sleepily as she grabbed a beer, sat down, opened it, and chugged it down.

"YEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHAAAAAWWWWWW!" Shinji stared, unimpressed, as Misato completely woke up, like flipping a switch, Misato's personality completely changed from barely awake Misato to fully awake and ready to go big sister Misato in a second. "Now that is the way to start your morning!" Shinji rolled his eyes as Misato stood up just as quickly as she had sat down. "Now time for that morning shower!" She called out, happily heading towards her own room to find her clothes for the day. "Has anyone seen any of my bras and panties lying around?" She asked innocently as Shinji rolled his eyes in amusement, a small smile on his face.

"I've found them, Misato!" Sachiel called out as he floated out of her room, wearing her bra on his head, with her panties around one arm.

"Thanks, Sachiel!" Misato replied in amusement as the doorbell rang. Shinji walked over to the door, and smiled as Toji, Hikari and Kensuke came into view. "Good morning, Ikari!" Toji and Kensuke called, Toji's bag once again sitting on his head for some reason. Hikari simply waved in greeting, following to two boys into the room.

"Heya, Misato!" Toji and Kensuke stated, at the same time, as per usual.

"Hi, boys!" She called back, flirtatiously, letting her clothe-less arm wave from inside her room. The two boys smiled in joy… and promptly crashed to the floor.

"Idiots." Hikari commented as she turned towards Shinji. "Going to help lug these two to school?"

"They'll be up quickly." Shamshel replied, the Angel's presence still unnerving Hikari slightly, still not fully used to them being around. "In 3… 2… 1…"

With a snap, Toji and Kensuke were back up and acting normally, as if nothing had happened, Shamshel laughed as Ramiel moved to Hikari again. She moved around, shifting to grab onto Hikari's two hair ties, and letting her hair fall out again.

"Yes."

"Ramiel wants you to wear your hair out more often." Sachiel translated, having been confiscated of Misato's undergarments. Toji nodded dumbly, his attention transferring to Hikari once her hair was out. Hikari blushed at his gaze, but kept up her usual authoritive tone.

"Shinji! Just a moment!" Misato called out, walking into the room. Toji's mind was once again on Misato, causing Hikari to frown, again.

"Yes, Misato?"

"I need to tell you something." She said motioning for him to sit down at the table. Shinji silently sat, wondering what Misato would need to talk about. "So, in a few days, we'll be heading out to the Over the Rainbow, an old cruiser, part of the United Nations Pacific Fleet,"

"The Over the Rainbow!" Kensuke called out, smiling from ear to ear. "That ship was built before the Second Impact!"

"Yes, Kensuke!" Misato replied. "Anyway, the entire fleet has been tasked with bringing over something very important."

"Like what, Misato?" Shinji asked, confusion across his features.

"Well, you see, because the Angels are coming here to Tokyo-3, Evangelion Unit-02 and the Second Child are being transported over from Germany!" She finished with a smile on her face.

"Another Pilot!?" Kensuke replied, freaking out about the Evangelion. "Unit-02!"

"Yes, Kensuke." Misato replied, gazing at the boy in uncertainty. "Anyway, as I'm sure you'll want to know. Commander Ikari has already given me permission to go and get the Second Child, and you, as the Third Child, are also coming along!"

"Why?"

"Because it'll be fun!"

"Alright then…"

"Also, you can bring your friends along as well." Misato said, gesturing to Toji, Hikari and Kensuke. Toji looked bored, but was excited to hang out with Shinji and Misato. Hikari was interested in who the Second Child was, and whether they could be friends. Kensuke was just excited about the Pacific Fleet, and Eva Unit-02!

"What about Rei?" Shinji asked, wondering about his fellow pilot.

"Unfortunately, as much as I'm sure Rei would love the trip, she'll be required to stay here in Tokyo-3, in case anything bad happens while we're gone."

"Alright then, Misato."

"Anyway, go have fun at school, Shinji!" Misato called out, as Shinji headed towards the door with his friends, intent on leaving quickly.

"Alright, Misato! See you later!" Shinji called as he left the room with his group of friends, as always, meeting Rei at school.

"Alright, see ya!" Misato replied, wrapped up in two towels, one around her body, and the other around her head, specifically to dry her hair. She watched in amusement as Shinji forcibly removed Toji and Kensuke from the building, while Hikari looked on in annoyance.

Quickly heading down to the street below, the group of four began their usual path to the local high school. Along the way, Toji was once again talking about the wonders of Misato Katsuragi, oblivious to the unamused look Shinji was giving him, and the hurt and annoyed look that Hikari was giving him. "Man, Miss Misato is just so cool!"

"You know, Toji." Shinji said, getting the other boy's attention. "I thought she was cool too, but she's actually a slob." Hikari giggled as Shinji explained this. "At home she's so coarse, uncool, and really sloppy. She never does anything around the apartment either, she just lays around and does nothing."

"So, you're the maid of the house then, Shinji." Hikari asked, earning a laugh from said boy.

"I guess you could say that. In the end, it just makes me embarrassed for her."

"You're a lucky guy, Shinji." Kensuke drawled, completely missing the point of what Shinji was trying to say.

"What do you mean, Kensuke?" Shinji asked, stopping for a moment.

"Geez, you really are a kid." Hikari frowned at Kensuke's meaning, while Toji agreed.

"What does that mean!?" Shinji asked defiantly, taking a stand against this.

"It means that she lets you see a side of her that no one else does." Kensuke stated, Hikari looking up in surprise.

"You can say something meaningful, Aida."

"Of course, I can, Class Rep." Hikari frowned as Kensuke continued. "What that means, Shinji, is that she considers you family." Shinji smiled as he let this sink in.

'Family.' Shinji walked forwards, letting the others lead him into the school grounds. 'I like the sound of that.'

**つづく**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go! Another chapter complete! Nothing much to say here as there isn't much different here at all compared to previous chapters. Next time! Some final preparations as the Second Child and Unit-02 draw near! (So, no, Asuka will not appear in the next chapter.) We will have a pilot show up though! So, look forward to that! Until the 18th, Ciao!
> 
> Changes:
> 
> More Hikari.  
Shamshel's ability is shown while restraining Jet Alone. We'll see Ramiel's soon.


	18. You Are (Not) Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life returns to somewhat normalcy in Tokyo-3 after the Jet Alone incident. However, the Second Child and Unit-02 are fast approaching, and the Proto Child finally arrives to join the battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s hard coming up with an Opening AN… Here’s some stuff to tide you over till next chapter. Believe me, you’ll want the next chapter to come quickly after this.

**August 22nd, 2015**

"What are you looking at, Sachiel?" Shinji asked, as they stood outside the local park, waiting for something interesting to happen. The last few days had been boring, as there had been nothing with NERV since the Jet Alone incident, he hadn't had a Sync Test yet, or had there been an Angel that had come knocking on their door.

"Nothing, just seems like there's something up there."

"What are you talking about?"

"Up there," Sachiel replied, pointing at the sky, before ducking into Shinji's pocket as someone passed. "In the sky." Shinji squinted his eyes, but saw nothing unusual.

"Are you sure you aren't seeing things, Sachiel?"

"Positive!" Sachiel replied in exasperation, pointing back at the sky. "It's right there!"

"Still nothing." Shinji replied, thinking his Angel friend had gone nuts, when a sudden shout got his attention.

"Look out below!" Shinji didn't have time to say anything, before he was suddenly sent sprawling to the ground. Groaning in agony, Shinji opened his eyes, only to stare into white space, feeling something squishy on his head.

'Oh… Shit…' Shinji thought in realisation as the person quickly got off him. He glanced at the person, realising it was a girl, probably slightly older than him, with long brown hair tied in a single ponytail. When she turned slightly, she could see a pair of glasses perched on her face, with a pair of teal eyes behind them.

"Shit!" She said, glancing around her. "Dammit! If I lose anything I'm dead!" She cried out as she turned, noticing Shinji staring at her.

"What are you looking at?" She asked, letting her eyes wander over the boy. "What? Cat got your tongue?" She asked coyly, letting a sly smile settle on her face. "It looks like you've never seen a girl before."

"I-I have."

"Smooth."

"Shut it, Sachiel!"

"Sachiel?" She asked curiously, crawling towards him. Shinji scurried back slightly, as she approached him, before she was pretty much on top of him again. She smelled him, before humming in content. "You smell of LCL, I like that smell." She said, backing away from him, she started laughing as she saw the look on his face. "Don't be so weirded out, this is just how I am."

"Did you say LCL?" Shinji asked, not bothering to get up.

"Yep, wonderful smell, don't you think?" She asked, as if this was perfectly normal conversation. Shinji didn't reply. Personally, he thought LCL smelled a bit like blood, but couldn't quite place it. "Before you ask, I am an Eva Pilot." She said, confirming any suspicions he might have had. "The Proto Child."

"I heard about an incident with another Eva Unit. Unit-05?" Shinji asked questioningly.

"Yep! I was there. Mari Illustrious Makinami!" She said, offering her hand to pull him up. Taking it gratefully, he stood up again. "Who's Sachiel?" Shinji opened his mouth to say something, but he was beaten to it.

"I am Sachiel!" He replied, flying out of Shinji's shirt pocket to greet the new girl. "An Angel!"

"Nice to meet you Sachiel!" Mari replied, as if this was the most normal thing in the world. "Skeletal!" She called out suddenly.

"Who's…" Shinji cut himself off when another Angel came out from behind Mari, looking like a mess of bones.

"I-I-I-I'm Skeletal!" He replied, his voice having a slight manic edge to it.

"There's more…" He asked in exasperation.

"Yep!" Mari replied, as she usually did. "Turns out this one is the Nineteenth!"

"But I recently killed the Fifth?"

"Yeah you did, I didn't get to see it unfortunately." Mari replied, before turning away from him to stare out at Tokyo-3. "The Old Men don't know that there are more than they think."

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" She replied, turning back to the boy quickly. "Anyway, I haven't seen Tokyo-3 before. Show me around!?"

"I mean…"

"Great! Let's go!" She called out, pulling him along. He smiled slightly, knowing this new person was going to be a big part of his life.

* * *

**August 23rd, 2015**

"Fuyutsuki." Gendo Ikari intoned, seated in his usual spot behind his desk in his dark office. Kozo Fuyutsuki stood nearby, staring out the window towards the Geofront.

"Yes, Ikari."

"We need to talk." Fuyutsuki turned, heading towards the seat sitting in front of the Commander of NERV, settling down, waiting for Gendo to speak. "These Angels, they have more abilities than we once thought."

"Yes, Ikari. I assume you're speaking of their ability to stay after their supposed deaths."

"Indeed."

"Ikari, why only speak of this now." Fuyutsuki asked, curiosity lining his features.

"When the Third Angel attack in July, we didn't know they continued to live after their death. It was only when the Fourth Angel attacked that we found out about this interesting ability, when the Third went into the Core of Unit-01 to help in the battle. The very quick appearance of the Fifth Angel halted plans, and we had to deal with the Jet Alone Unit. That, Fuyutsuki, is why we are talking about this now."

"I see. What do you suggest?"

"I was going to ask you that, Fuyutsuki." Gendo replied, a small smirk on his lips. Fuyutsuki stared back, before replying.

"I don't see a reason to try and bring the Angels down again if that's what you're implying. But, due to the actions of the Angels with the Fourth, as well as the Jet Alone. It seems that they are intent on helping us towards our ultimate goal."

"Thank you, Fuyutsuki."

"Ikari?"

"I agree, if they continue to show this amount of help, especially with the Second Child and Unit-02 arriving soon, we should have no problem moving forward with the Scenario."

"I agree, Ikari."

"But," Gendo continued, turning to stare out at the Geofront. "If the Angels ever show any sign of going against NERV and the Scenario, I will not hesitate to order them terminated. I will not have anything prevent us from reaching the ultimate outcome of the Scenario."

* * *

Mari hurried through the NERV HQ, intent on finding one office in particular. She was happy, for the first time in a long while, she had met Shinji, who seemed like a nice, albeit timid boy, for the first time, and they had explored Tokyo-3 together, they had found a nice little place in the corner of the city, largely unknown, that housed a nice little restaurant that had a karaoke bar. After a bit of a conversation (largely Mari telling Shinji they were going to come back later, with Shinji not really saying much), they had agreed to return at a later date and do some karaoke.

Mari's thoughts on the previous day disappeared when she arrived at a door, a door marked with one large word: Sub-Commander. She breathed in and out, letting her nerves settle before she opened the door. She was scared, scared of what would happen inside this room. How the man on the other side would react to her.

With one last sigh, she opened the door.

"Yes, who is it…" Fuyutsuki stated, glancing up, and staring straight at her in shock. Mari smiled slightly, letting the man know what had happened.

"Hi, Professor." She said, stepping into the room as the door shut behind her.

* * *

Shinji relaxed in the Test Plug, letting the LCL wash over him. To his left, as usual, Rei sat in her own plug, doing her own Sync Test. Shinji found Sync Tests annoying, but understood why they did them. It was always a matter of getting better, so that when the next Angel would appear, they were ready.

The Angels were with the Bridge Bunnies, settling and watching the pilots, as they always did, considering that the Angels did not affect Sync Ratios whatsoever, Ritsuko had deemed it unnecessary to test the pilots with the Angels inside with them, as such, normal testing continued.

When the LCL drained from the Plugs, Shinji and Rei knew that the Test was over, waiting for a moment, the voice of Maya came over the speakers in the plugs, letting the two pilots know of their results.

"Okay, great job guys, both of you improved a bit since Ramiel!" She said, happy with the results the two pilots were getting in their scores. "Rei, you're going well, but still sitting at about 50, try and get it up a bit."

"Yes."

"Shinji, you're sitting well at 60 right now, better than what it was when fighting Ramiel, and about the same as the Jet Alone."

"Okay."

"Great!" Maya stated, turning to Misato who was swinging around in a chair behind them. She nodded, letting the younger girl know that the test was over and they could go home. "Alright, you two can go get changed and head out now!" The speaker cut with a blip, leaving Shinji and Rei alone in their plugs.

They both exited quietly, heading down the hall towards the change rooms. They both striped off their plugsuits and got into the showers, before heading back to the main area and getting dressed again. Shinji couldn't be bothered to put up the privacy screen, and Rei didn't care about her nudity anyway, so it was fine.

"Hey, Rei."

"Yes." She replied, turning to the boy. Shinji turned away quickly, not knowing that Rei was half-dressed.

"I found a nice little restaurant while exploring the city yesterday. We were going to go there as a group. Are you interested?" Rei stood in thought, before replying with her decision.

"Yes, I will come, Shinji." She turned back to her clothes and continued dressing. Shinji sighed in relief before picking up his stuff and exiting, heading out towards the city for the rest of the day.

* * *

**August 24th, 2015**

The day started like any other, Shinji noted, as he woke up that morning with a yawn. Sachiel once again, as he usually did, swatted him away with his stick arms as Shinji tried to wake him up. He sighed as he moved away, Shamshel waking up and following soon after, Ramiel simply lying somewhere, as Shinji didn't know what Ramiel was doing currently. Overall, a normal morning.

Trudging into the kitchen, Shinji prepared Breakfast for that morning, another thing that had become quite common in the apartment recently, due to Misato finding out he was actually quite a decent cook. Looking down at his watch, Shinji counted down in his head, knowing when Misato would open the door and get up for the day. '5… 4… 3… 2… 1…'

Right on cue, Misato opened the door with a massive yawn, her clothing as usual in a state of some disarray. "Morning Shinji, Shamshel." She replied tiredly, heading towards the nearest fridge for her usual morning beer.

"Morning, Misato." Came the reply from both Shinji and Shamshel, as Misato settled at the table and cracked open her can of beer. The "YEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAH" that followed let Shinji know that the morning was off to a good start.

Finishing making breakfast, he settled down at the table and handed everyone their meals, digging in. It was silent, as it usually was, letting everyone eat in peace. Misato didn't have anything to say today, not after NERV had had words with her after her performance during the Jet Alone incident, knowing her actions were rash, and her distaste towards Shiro Tokita unacceptable.

"Alright, Misato." Shinji called, as he headed towards the door. "I'm heading out now!"

"Alright, have fun at school, Shinji!" She called back enthusiastically as she returned to her meal, letting her charge head to school, she couldn't keep him from that, even if his job had something to do with saving the world.

She was brought out of her thoughts by Sachiel floating in front of her, thoughts clearly on the Angel's mind.

"Can I investigate the large tumours on your chest for scientific purposes?"

"Okay, Sachiel. First off, they are called breasts, or boobs." She replied matter-of-factly, "Secondly, do you even know what Science is?"

"Breasts? Interesting name. They look like tumours to me. Also, what is Science?"

"That's what I thought!" Misato replied enthusiastically, heading away from the table after depositing her dishes in the sink to be cleaned up later. "I'm going to go have a shower now. No peeking!" She said, directing the final part specifically at Sachiel.

"What!?" Sachiel replied unconvincingly, watching to woman head towards the bathroom.

Misato laughed from inside the bathroom, when Shamshel let out a massive "No, Sachiel!" Knowing exactly what the Angel was trying to do.

* * *

School that day was interesting, Shinji assumed that it would be like any other day. Sensei talking about Second Impact and the majority of the class either not paying attention or sleeping to pass the time. Today however, was different.

It started normally, Shinji arrived at school and met up with Toji, Hikari, Kensuke and Rei, who had taken to hanging out with them a lot more than she used to, and heading to the classroom for the day. They'd set themselves up at their desks and prepared for another day of 'learning' about Second Impact.

Sensei had entered the classroom, standing at the front of the room. Hikari stood, as usual and called out in her authoritive voice. "Rise! Bow! Sit!"

"Today class, we have a new transfer student." Sensei started, once everybody was seated and ready to begin. Shinji glanced at the door, wondering who the new arrival could be. The door opened, and in stepped Mari, her brown hair done up in a single ponytail today. She smiled at the class on arrival, prompting many of the male students to stare at her. "If you'd like to introduce yourself." Sensei said, his usual droning tone still coming through despite this being something different.

"Hi everyone! I'm Mari Illustrious Makinami! I hope we all have fun together!" She smiled as she turned back to Sensei.

"Mmhmm, yes, Miss. Makinami, there is a seat near the back next to Mr. Ikari." Mari smiled and headed towards Shinji's desk. She smiled and waved, before settling down next to him.

Sensei than started on the lesson, beginning his spiel about Second Impact as usual, not noticing that most the class was either staring at Mari with lust (majority of the boys), while the girls of the room glared angrily at their boyfriends, or just at the boys for being perverts. Mari smiled, happy to be here.

* * *

"Shinji, you didn't tell us you knew such a hot babe." Toji said, cornering Shinji after class ended that day. Shinji grimaced, waiting as Toji continued to hound him.

"Yes, I know her, after she kind've collided into me a couple days ago."

"Collided, eh?" Toji replied, raising an eyebrow. "Get any good feels, Shinji." He asked, waggling his eyebrows. Shinji blushed hard, stammering in reply, an attempt to get a string of words out.

"Suzahara!" Hikari called suddenly, stomping into the hallway. "Don't you ever let me hear you making perverted comments again! If I do I will put you on cleaning duty for a week! Understand!"

"Yes, Class Rep! Sorry, Class Rep!" Hikari growled again, knowing that whenever she got into her "Class Rep Mode", as Toji called it, he would revert to calling her Class Rep.

"I have a name you idiot!"

"Sorry, Hikari!"

"Better." She commented, before turning to Shinji. "So, who is this new person."

"You talking about me?" A female voice said from behind the pigtailed girl, Hikari turned, finding Mari standing there with a wide smile. "I'm flattered Freckles, really."

"Freckles…?"

"Sorry, I'm Mari, I give nicknames to people who I like. The Puppy here knows that." Mari replied, Shinji blushed again at the nickname, before speaking up.

"So, who's everyone else?" Shinji asked, curious as to what everyone else could be.

"Well, you're Puppy, and Class Rep here is Freckles. Dumb and Dumber over there, ("Hey!" Toji called out in indignation.) are Jock and Nut. While your fellow pilot, Rei, is Blueberry."

"Okay then…"

"Don't question it, Puppy, just roll with it." Shinji just nodded, while Hikari simply stared dumbfounded.

"So, where is the Blueberry anyway?" Mari asked, intent on formally meeting her fellow pilot.

"Rei doesn't usually stick around long after school, she's usually at NERV though, you might see her there."

"Damn." Mari replied casually, before turning to Toji and Kensuke. "Don't stare for too long boys, some people might think you're going crazy." She said seriously, causing both boys to blanch in reaction. Mari then started laughing. "I'm kidding! I say if you have it, flaunt it!" She replied in complete seriousness. "I don't care if you stare at me, or my boobs. Don't ask me to show you though, that's only for special people." She said, winking at Shinji. Shinji blushed all over again, causing the older girl to laugh again. "Well, it's been fun, I'll see you all tomorrow." Mari said, turning to leave, before stopping and turning to Hikari. "Don't worry about yourself Freckles, he'll notice you sooner or later. You're not that small!" She added playfully, before leaving for real.

Hikari stammered all the way out the door and all the way home.

* * *

**August 25th, 2015**

"Well, here it is!" Mari said as the group entered the local buffet restaurant. It had been a long day of not paying attention at school, and Mari had decided to coerce the group into coming to the buffet restaurant that she had found with Shinji a few days before.

"It's definitely a buffet." Shinji commented dryly, glancing around himself. There was a large table set up in the middle of the room, with an assortment of foods layered across, tempting the people around to grab a plate and start taking some food.

The main attraction of the place though was its karaoke machine. A large stage stood at one end of the building, with people coming up and playing after registering for it. Mari was very intent on trying this out, the rest of the group was rather indifferent about it.

"Anyone else going to sing?" Mari asked, intent on not being the only one to sing on this day. No one else really felt like going up though, which became apparent when no one spoke up at Mari's question. Mari sighed, turning away and heading towards the karaoke table, to register to do some karaoke on the stage.

The rest of the group collectively went towards the buffet table, and started to get some food. It took a little bit, but once everyone had collected their food, they had found a nice round table to sit at, waiting for Mari to take to the stage and start singing because she really wanted to do it.

It didn't take long until Mari was found standing on the stage. She smiled wide, letting everyone know that she felt quite at ease here. "Hi everyone! Today I am going to sing a song for you, a song that I like very much, to show everyone how I feel about being here today in this city." She smiled again, nodding towards the man sitting behind the nearby desk, ready to sing her song.

_– Evangelion 1.0 OST – Track 31 – Beautiful World –_

_It's only love._

_If I can be granted just one wish,  
Please let me sleep next to you. Any place is fine.  
Beautiful world  
Without regrets, my eyes are only on you.  
Beautiful boy  
You don't know yet, just how beautiful you are._

_It's only love_

_Whether you're sleeping or awake,  
You just dream of shounen manga. Don't you like yourself?_

_You don't know what you want, but you can't stop wanting.  
Lukewarm tears roll down your cheeks._

_I have nothing I want to tell you,  
I just want to meet you again.  
I can't say what I want to tell you,  
Maybe I'm just a coward.  
But that's alright too._

_If I can be granted just one wish,  
Please let me sleep next to you. Any place is fine.  
Beautiful world  
Without regrets, my eyes are only on you.  
Beautiful boy  
You don't know yet, just how beautiful you are._

_It's only love_

_No matter what it is, give everything a try.  
Even if you get hurt, it's a valuable experience._

_I don't need newspapers.  
The important things are not printed there.  
How are you doing recently?  
If you are fine,  
Then that's good I guess._

_If I can't meet you before my world ends,  
Please let me sleep next to you. Any place will do.  
Beautiful world  
As these fleeting days pass by,  
Beautiful boy  
It's natural to feel whimsical._

_If I can be granted just one wish,  
Please let me sleep next to you._

_– End –_

Mari finished the song, letting the microphone fall from her hand and hit the ground lightly. A large applause came up after she had finished her song, and she smiled happily as she stepped down and headed towards her friends.

"So, what'd you think?" She said, a large smile on her face.

A chorus of various compliments came forth, causing the teenage girl to smile happily. "Thanks guys, but next time you're going up there as well!"

* * *

**August 26th, 2015**

Toji glanced around him, everywhere, nurses ran back and forth as they attended to patients situated in lots of places at the hospital. Toji was here one reason. His sister, Sakura Suzahara. After being in the wrong place at the wrong time while Sachiel was attacking the city, Sakura had ended up caught under a rather large bit of rubble, Toji himself having barely been missed. Somehow, despite all the odds, she had survived, but was going to be in the Hospital for who knows how long.

Ever since Toji had decided to jump to conclusions and punch Shinji instead of approaching the boy calmly, something that Hikari had made sure to hammer into his head the next day, Toji had visited the Hospital every day when he had the time, at this point though, Sakura was still in a coma, and because of his sister's current predicament, and Shinji himself showing he didn't really care for piloting the Eva, was when Shinji became his friend.

Today was no different, Toji sat in thought, particularly of a Pigtailed Class Rep, and simply watched his sister lay on her bed. His thoughts had been muddled lately, ever since Ramiel had decided to remove Hikari's pigtails he found himself thinking about the girl constantly, she always popped up when he least expected it, and currently, he had no idea why.

"Toji?" His thoughts were broken as he glanced to his left to find the exact girl he had just been thinking about. "Are you alright? Your face is red." Hikari asked, standing nearby, holding a bag of groceries, inevitably for the family dinner that she would be cooking that night. A commonality in her family, and many others in their class, as all of them no longer had their mother around anymore. An anomaly that Hikari had brushed of as a coincidence.

Toji cursed to himself, making sure Hikari couldn't hear him as she would chew him out for it, before turning back to the girl, hoping his blush had subsided. "I'm fine." He replied simply, hoping that she would be happy with that and leave him alone, but knowing her, she was far more perceptive than that.

"No, you're not." She replied, settling down into the seat beside him, letting her groceries sit on the ground beside her. "You're hurting," She said, resting her hand on his own, letting him know she was there for him. "What it is I don't know, but just know that I am here for you." She finished letting him hold her hand silently, a simple gesture, but he knew she would always be there for him.

That's when it hit him, why he constantly thought about her, why she had occupied his thoughts so much over the past few weeks. He pulled his hand away quickly, not wanting to talk about this newfound feeling that he had. "I'm worried." Was all he said, letting the words sink in.

Hikari's heart dropped, she hated seeing him in such a terrible moment, knowing that whatever was happening was ripping him apart inside. "What's going on?" She said slowly, questioning but wondering both lacing her tone.

"My sister is in there." He replied, pointing at the door, slightly ajar, giving the boy a clear look at his sister. Hikari glanced over, and gasped, a small girl, about six years old lay silently on a bed inside. Breathing, but otherwise not moving. "They say she's fine, but she hasn't woken up yet." Toji said, his voice cracking slightly. "I just don't know whether she'll ever wake up!" He said, letting the tears he had held in start to flow. Hikari pulled the older boy into a hug, whispering sweet nothing into his ear as he continued to cry into her shoulder.

"It's okay, she'll wake up, Toji. I'm sure of it." Hikari said, giving the boy a small smile to let him know that everything was okay. "No matter what happens, she'll wake up and end up as her usual self."

"Thanks, Hikari." Toji replied, standing and heading towards the door, stepping inside to get a full view of his sister. Hikari hesitated, before grabbing her groceries and starting to head out of the Hospital. Toji ran back after her, pulling her around to face him. They stared at each other, wondering in both their faces. "Don't leave." Toji finally said, letting his hold on arm drop. "Stay, please."

"Of course." She finally said, after what felt like forever, following Toji back to his sister's room. She watched the young girl, her stomach rising and falling with every breath she took. "She's adorable." Hikari said, watching silently.

"Yeah, she is." Toji replied, letting a smile overcome him at memories he had with his sister. "She can be a cheeky little devil though, when she wakes up you'll see." Hikari smiled, knowing his comment meant two things, that he thought she would be okay, and that he wanted her to see his sister with him again.

"I'm sure she'll get on swimmingly with Nozomi."

"Your younger sister?"

"Yeah." The two continued to watch Sakura, letting her know, even if she didn't in person, that she was still loved, despite the situation she was in.

"Well, let's go." Toji said, silently taking Hikari's hand and pulling her slowly towards the door, the intent to leave and visit another day in his mind.

"Toji…" He stopped, turning slowly, the voice so familiar to him he almost broke down in happiness right there. Lying in the bed, Sakura watched him with an air of amusement in her tired eyes. Her brown hair splayed out across her pillow, her brown eyes sparkling as she stared at him. "Hey big bro…" She said, her voice slow and slightly raspy due to non-use. "You didn't tell me you'd gotten a girlfriend…" She teased, causing Toji and Hikari to release their hand-hold quickly.

Toji stepped forward, stopping right beside the bed. "Sakura… You're awake!"

"Yeah… but I don't know for how long…" She said, turning to Hikari. "She's your Class Rep right…?"

"Yeah, I am," Hikari replied, smiling down at the physically weak girl. "I'm Hikari."

"Hikari… I like that name…" She replied, turning to her brother. "The pilot… of the giant robot… Did you give him a hard time…?"

"A little bit." Toji admitted, looking down in shame. Sakura tried her hardest to give Toji an annoyed look, but it came out looking cuter than anything.

"Idiot…" She said, letting the boy know she was teasing him.

"Don't worry, Sakura, he's my friend now. His name's Shinji. I can bring him over sometime."

"Thank you…" Sakura replied, her eyes fluttering as she struggled to stay awake. "I'd like that a lot…"

"It's done. Sleep well, Sakura."

"Bye… Toji…" Sakura replied, letting her eyes close once again, sleep overcoming her as Hikari stood silently behind Toji, her hand resting on his shoulder in comfort.

"See?" She said, as he continued to watch his sister. "I told you that everything would be fine."

"Thanks, Hikari." Toji said, getting up and hugging her for a moment, letting his emotions come across.

Hikari blushed as she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him back. "You're welcome, Toji. Anytime."

* * *

**August 27th, 2015**

Life was returning to a somewhat normal back at NERV HQ, the kids weren't required for a sync test today and everything had quietened down a bit.

For the most part, in a small corner of the large pyramid, work was happening very quickly and in quite a rush. Evangelion Unit-02 would be arriving in Tokyo-3 soon, and NERV's First Branch, located in Massachusetts, USA, had called ahead to Tokyo-3 to let them know that they had completed work on Evangelion Unit-03 far earlier than expected, and were also sending down the Unit by air a couple days later.

Because of all this, Ritsuko was very stressed out, not only was the Second Child going to be arriving with Unit-02 on the Over the Rainbow, an old battleship from Pre-Second Impact, and the rest of the United Nations Pacific Fleet in a bid to keep the giant weapon safe. But another Evangelion, one that they didn't expect completed for months, was going to be arriving as well, and the unexpected Unit didn't have a pilot yet.

Due to this, Ritsuko was currently fretting around, stepping into a lift nearby to head towards the Eva Cages, where work was currently underway in a place for the two new Units to be stored was in progress. She sighed as the lift headed down quickly, letting her thoughts run wild. 'Damn them!' Was common in her thoughts, targeted specifically towards the Second Branch, having only given them a warning recently about Unit-03 and expecting HQ to take it with no qualms. 'No qualms, huh!? There'll be qualms!' Ritsuko thought as the lift stopped and opened with a ding.

Stepping out onto the parapet nearby, she glanced down at all the machinery in the two cages being set up for Unit-02 and Unit-03. Across the building, preparations were being made for the Major's arrival on the old battleship in a few days' time, ready for both her, and the Third Child's, arrival to collect the Second Child. Misato had also noted to her, that three of Shinji's school friends were coming with them.

'Well, at least it won't be a completely boys club.' Ritsuko thought as she headed back upstairs, things were moving smoothly, and she was satisfied with that. 'At least Hikari will be there, might give Asuka a friend of some sort.' She thought as she headed up towards Gendo Ikari's office, a meeting having been called a few hours earlier regarding the progress towards Unit-02's arrival.

She stopped outside the large doors, men of Section 2 standing on both sides. She simply nodded to the men and pushed open the door.

"Dr. Akagi?" The cold but stern voice of Gendo Ikari came across the room.

"Here, sir." She replied, stepping into the low light of the room.

"Ah, take a seat." He replied, gesturing to the chair sitting in front of his desk, a courtesy, that must be earnt.

"Yes, sir." Ritsuko replied, taking a seat and staring back at the man who gave her so much emotional pain.

"What do you think of the Angels?" The man asked, his hands folded in front of his face as they always were, staring ahead, letting no emotions out.

"The one's we're trying to defeat, sir?" She asked, not completely sure what the man was saying.

"The Angels that, despite our efforts, have managed to stay behind and stay with the pilots."

"I think they're fine sir. They don't seem to have an idea about killing us all anytime soon, if that's what you're implying. Sachiel, the Third Angel, said a couple of weeks ago that they would help us towards our goal."

"Splendid." Gendo replied, smirking slightly. "Now about the progress on Unit-02?"

"Yes, preparations are well underway for the Evangelion's arrival. Major Katsuragi will board a transport along with the Third Child and a few of his classmates to retrieve the vessel and meet the Second Child in a few days' time."

"Excellent, is there anything else to note, Dr. Akagi?"

"Yes, the First Branch called, they're sending over Unit-03 by air in the next few days."

"Interesting, what do you make of this, Doctor?"

"I think they're rushing things to compete with the Third Branch, completely forgetting that Unit-02 began construction years before they even considered building an Evangelion. I think they need more time."

"Did you tell them this?"

"No, I didn't, I told them we'll be ready for it."

"Excellent work, Doctor. I am pleased with the progress made. Let Major Katsuragi know that she will be required to depart for the United Nations Pacific Fleet in three days' time. That will be all."

"Thank you, Commander." Ritsuko stood, and turned to leave, letting the doors close silently behind her. Gendo stared after her, waiting till she was completely gone.

"Are you sure this was a good idea, Ikari?" Fuyutsuki asked, standing to the side in the darkness, having heard the entire conversation. "Unit-03, completed so soon? What is the First Branch thinking?"

"They're content on having the best Evangelion, Fuyutsuki, completely disregarding that Unit-02 had the best scientist available at the Third Branch on its construction."

"Ah yes, Kyoko wouldn't be very happy. One more thing, are you sure it's a good idea for Shinji to go get Unit-02? Who knows what could happen once he meets Asuka."

"Kyoko would've wanted it that way." Gendo replied, "Besides, Yui would've wished it too."

"Ah yes, they were great students Ikari, all three of them."

"I know they were Fuyutsuki, I didn't marry Yui for nothing."

"She's watching from above Gendo. Both of them are."

* * *

**August 28th, 2015**

Mari felt strange. This world, it was so familiar, yet so different at the same time. There were landmarks that were obvious to her, and places that had been completely wiped off the map. It had taken a few weeks, with the battle against Skeletal and the destruction of Unit-05, and her arrival at Tokyo-3 and meeting with Shinji, to get used to the altered state of the world.

It pained her, of course it did. She felt out of place in this world that she didn't grow up in. Lots of things had changed, and seeing Shinji in person had only exemplified that. Asuka was going to arrive soon as well, but she couldn't go see her either. NERV had a lot on its plate right now, and her being a pilot, and one that was kind've supposed to be dead, just added to that. She had wanted to go see her, she really did, but NERV needed her.

So, she stared out at the Geofront again. She hadn't been able to leave much, only for school really, which just felt odd to her. She was 16 after all, physically at least, and the rest of the class she was placed in were all 13-14, making her feel like the odd one out in the group of students. She didn't mind much though, the just developing mind of the boys in the class gave her something to laugh at. It was as she always said, if you've got it, flaunt it. Hikari had blushed quite badly at that. That was a good day.

The door opened behind her, and in stepped Kozo Fuyutsuki, the door shut again. She turned and smiled, she was happy it was at least a familiar face instead of someone she didn't know. That wouldn't be very helpful.

"Mari." The man stated, sitting down at the nearest chair and watching the girl in front of him. She smiled back at him.

"Hi, Professor."

"I'm no longer a Professor, Mari." Fuyutsuki replied, smiling gently at her. "You don't need to call me that."

"Sorry, but old habits die hard I guess." Mari replied, settling on the bed. "I hate it here, this room sucks."

"I know, but it's the only place we have right now, especially while you're required here at NERV."

"I know I'm required, I'm an Eva Pilot!" She said, happily taking on the words. "It just feels weird, and dark for some reason."

"I'm sure once NERV clears you for piloting you can move somewhere else."

"Can I ask something?"

"Go ahead."

"Can I move in with the Puppy and Miso?"

"Who?" Mari laughed, forgetting that she was speaking to one of the highest people in NERV.

"Sorry, Shinji and Misato."

"I'm sure that's fine, although there were plans to have Asuka move in as well when she arrived."

"Great! The more the merrier!" Fuyutsuki laughed, revelling in the joy that didn't come around much anymore.

"That's all I've come down here for, just to see how you're doing. You're still an active pilot, despite not having an Eva to use, that is being worked on however, fitting for a new plugsuit will take place in a week."

"Thank god! That other one hurt too much."

"See you later, Mari."

"Bye, Professor!" The door shut behind the man, leaving Mari alone all over again. She lay down for a while, but decided to get up and explore.

The door opened and she ducked out, heading towards the nearest lift. She knew where she wanted to go, so headed there quickly. She smiled sadly as the lift doors opened to the Eva Cages, she felt bad doing this while Unit-02 was still in transit, but she couldn't wait any longer. She stepped out, the doors closing behind her.

* * *

Kensuke was very much looking forward for the coming trip. He'd been allowed to go see the Over the Rainbow! The most famous pre-Second Impact battleship there was!

Of course, they were also picking up another Evangelion! Unit-02! So, it definitely meant that more Evangelions were being built. He really wanted to be a pilot, ever since he found out about them, being friends with Shinji, and now Rei to an extent, could possibly give him a way into NERV.

"Son, I'm home." Kensuke packed up all his military models and went out to meet his father. This was not a common occurrence, as like many of his classmates, his father worked for NERV, and his mother had disappeared long ago. "How are you doing, Kensuke?"

"I'm good, Dad. Just excited for this coming trip." His dad laughed, revelling in the feeling of being with his son for a little while.

"Ah, yes. I would be too." His father smiled, before heading to the kitchen to have a drink. "Are you all packed?"

"Yes, Dad. Ready to go in a couple days' time."

"Good job, son. Say hi to your friends for me when you go."

"I will Dad." Kensuke replied, before looking up at him. "Do you know if I can be a pilot?"

"Ken, I don't know what goes on up above, I only do the work I need to, so I can support you."

"Mum would be happy that you're doing this." Kensuke replied, looking down.

"I know she would. She's very proud of you."

"I miss her, Dad."

"So, do I Kensuke. So, do I."

* * *

**August 29th, 2015**

Rei was an enigma. Someone who felt like she was there and wasn't at the same time. She herself didn't mind of course. To her she was simply someone to be used. Once she had served her purpose she would be discarded, and if she died than she could be replaced. That was what she had been told for years. 'So why do I feel different now?' She thought as she stood in her drab apartment, the way it had always been, in her natural state. She didn't think much of clothes, only wearing them when absolutely necessary.

She stepped towards the bathroom, turning the knobs on the shower and stepping inside, letting the water wash over her. 'Friends? They give me these weird feelings. I know my purpose, so why do I feel different? Why do I feel like my purpose is a bad idea?' She was happy really, but these new sensations were unknown to her. She felt happy when she was around Toji, Hikari and Kensuke. Mari was an enigma to her, although she hadn't really spent any time with the girl yet, maybe while Shinji and the others were getting the Second Child they could interact. But the person who meant the most to her was Shinji. She felt a kind of familial bond with the boy. Someone she should love, but not romantically. To her, Shinji felt like the sibling she never had.

She stepped out of the shower and gently shut it off, she wrapped a towel around her neck and stepped back into the main room. She moved towards her dressers, packing some items for that night. Despite not going to get the Second Child, Major Katsuragi had decided to invite her over for a sleepover with the rest of her friends anyway, to spend some time with them before they had to leave early the next day to retrieve the Second Child.

'Maybe I can speak with Mari there?' Rei thought as she continued to pack her stuff into a small, generic backpack. Once she was happy, she glanced over her apartment one last time, before heading towards the door and stepping out. She nodded silently to herself, before closing and locking the door behind her.

* * *

"Shinji!"

"Gah!" Shinji cried, losing his balance and toppling to the floor, his limbs a tangled mess as he stared up at the ceiling. The blankets and pillows he had gotten out strewn around him in a mess of cloth. He glared as Sachiel brought his head into sight, looking down at the boy.

"Whatcha doin?" The Angel asked, chuckling as Shinji pulled himself up from the floor, annoyance in his eyes.

"Working, now leave me alone." Shinji turned and started picking up the cloths on the floor, indicating to Sachiel that he didn't want to talk to him. He didn't listen.

"Aw! That's no fun! Come on, do something productive for once!" Shinji glared again as the Angel continued to annoy him to death. He really considered the Angels' his friends now, he really did, but he still got annoyed with them. Mainly Sachiel, as Shamshel seemed to be the mature one of the group, and Ramiel was just strange to him.

"I am doing something productive, Sachiel!" Shinji replied, his eyes flashing slightly in annoyance. Sachiel still floated, watching the boy.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Sachiel folded his arms in front of him, attempting to look serious… and failing miserably. Shinji softened considerably, trying hard not to laugh at the absurd sight before him.

"Fine." Sachiel huffed dramatically, turning away from him. "But I have something to show you." He said, flying out of the room.

Shinji sighed, returning to the task at hand, preparing the room for a big sleepover, with Toji, Kensuke, Hikari, Mari and Rei. He remembered when he had proposed the idea, (Actually, Misato came up with the idea, as it made it easier to leave in the morning), to his friends. Toji and Kensuke were on board, Mari was all for it, Rei simply said, "I will think about it", and Hikari… had a massive freak-out.

Shinji chuckled as he remembered the reaction his first friend in Tokyo-3 had given him. Noting how inhumane it was to have six teenagers at night, in the same room together. It had taken Misato calling Hikari's father (Who really didn't want to be disturbed), to get her to calm down. 'It didn't help that Kodama was all for her younger sister to go sleep at a boy's house.' Shinji thought as Misato snuck into the room behind him. She had been at the apartment for a while, having been given the day off to pack and prepare for the trip to the Over the Rainbow to pick up Asuka, and Unit-02 of course.

"Gah!" Came Shinji's cry as he was enveloped from behind by Misato, hugging the boy to her chest as a show of familial affection. Shinji blushed. "Misato!"

"You're adorable, Shinji!" She replied, releasing him. "I'm glad you've decided to go through with this. It's good that you're able to see your friends."

"Thanks, Misato. It was all your idea though."

"Oh, hush!" She replied, waving his comment off. "You would've thought of it anyway." Shinji smiled, finishing his setup of the room before him. He glanced around, satisfied, as the doorbell rang.

He smiled as he rushed to the door, opening it to find Mari standing behind, she smiled before stepping inside, glancing around the apartment. Shinji was happy that Mari came first, so he could introduce her to Misato in a more casual manner than the more formal introduction that would've come later.

"Wow! This is a nice little place, Puppy! Looks like you keep it nice and clean!" Mari said, indicating to the spotless apartment. Shinji laughed.

"Yeah, that's what I do around here." Mari laughed, as Shinji led her to the adjacent room. Misato was already perched on the nearby couch, a can of cold beer already in her hand. She glanced up as Shinji entered the room with a girl who she had seen around NERV HQ over the past week.

"You must be Mari!" Misato said, as she stood from her seat and crossed the room.

"And you must be the Major!" Mari replied, equally as cheery, glancing at the woman. "I feel we're going to get along splendidly!" Misato laughed heartily, bringing her can up to her lips and taking a sip for once.

"I'm sure we will! I'm still your superior officer though, don't forget it!" Mari mock gasped.

"Never, Major!" She replied, not having found a suitable nickname for Misato just yet. 'I do like the sound of Miso though.' She pondered as she sat down, Skeletal warily coming out of his hiding spot in her clothing. "Oh, I forgot! This is Skeletal!" The boney Angel stared around him quickly and harshly, taking in the new environment. Misato just stared, this felt weird, she hadn't gotten any reports about a Sixth Angel. Mari noticed her confusion, and supplied her with an answer. "Sorry, this is the Nineteenth Angel."

'Nineteenth?' Misato thought as she knelt in front of Skeletal.

"Y-y-yes?" The Angel asked, his voice raspy and broken, the sound of clanging was heard, and in rushed Sachiel, having knocked over god knows what in the Kitchen. Ramiel followed swiftly, with Shamshel bringing up the rear at a more acceptable pace.

"See!" Sachiel said, gesturing at the Skeleton Angel wildly. "I told you there was another one!"

"Gaghiel isn't here, Sachiel!" Shamshel replied in an exasperated tone, before settling eyes on Skeletal, scuttling about on the couch. "Well this is unexpected."

"Yes."

"I'm S-s-skele-t-t-tal." The Angel replied, "I'm the Nineteenth."

"Nineteenth? We have more brothers and sisters?"

"Obviously!" Sachiel replied, flying into Shamshel's face. "Who knows how big our family is!"

"Do I want to know?" Misato replied, dreading the answer.

"Probably not." Sachiel hand waved, before turning back to Shamshel. "Do you know what this means!?"

"Quiet, Sachiel." Shamshel reprimanded. Sachiel stuck his tongue out, hoping to strike back before the doorbell rang again. Shinji ran to the door, and soon after, Toji, Hikari and Kensuke entered the room. Ramiel glanced up as soon as Hikari entered the room, but settled down in satisfaction as he saw her hair lying straight down her back. She blushed at the attention that was being brought to her, looking down.

"Never thought you to wear your hair down, Freckles." Mari commented, idly waiting on the lounge. "You look good, he'll figure it out soon." Hikari and Toji both blushed, remembering back to a few days ago, at the Hospital, where Toji's sister had said something along those lines after waking up. Kensuke didn't pay attention, he had noticed Skeletal in the background, and had decided to interrogate the Angel, to the Angel's dismay.

"Tell me all about it!" Kensuke demanded as soon as he came to the Angel.

"W-w-w-what?"

"Being killed by an Eva! How it works! What happens!?"

"I don't know?" Skeletal replied honestly. "What's an Eva?" Kensuke stared, dumbfounded, as he felt little arms and legs on the back of his shirt, dragging him away.

"Leave him alone, Kensuke." Shamshel said, dragging him away from the Angel. Kensuke pouted, but followed through with the request. The group had set up, Hikari still a bit weary, and started to just talk and chat. Mari was heavily intent on playing a game, and her malicious smile said she had plans, but before she could say anything, Rei had entered the room.

"Am I missing anything?" She asked simply, her monotone coming through in her voice. The pieces of a young teenage girl there but not complete.

"Yes!" Mari replied, finally seeing the girl and being able to talk to her. "I'm Mari, we were going to play Truth or Dare."

"No, we weren't."

"I think it'll be fun!"

"I don't even know anymore, Sachiel." Rei smiled slightly, moving her lips slowly, barely.

"I'm glad I could be here. Despite not going to get the Second."

"It's fine, Blueberry!" Mari said, helping the girl settle, she just felt familiar to her, she couldn't place why. "Have a seat!"

"Thank you." She simply said, as she settled gracefully on the blanket before her, like an Angel almost.

"Well, let's play!" Mari replied, preparing to get a bottle from the Kitchen when Misato stepped into the room. She had retreated earlier, when they had started to chat as friends.

"No can do, Mari! These guys have got to sleep, you might not be going to the Over the Rainbow, and neither is Rei, but these guys need to be up early for their trip."

"Oh, you ruined the fun, Miso!" Mari replied, making a show of crossing her arms under her breasts for fun. She laughed as Kensuke fell onto his blanket fainted. Misato smiled, rolling her eyes as she left the room.

"Well, you heard Miss Misato." Hikari said, moving out of the room, towards the bathroom to get ready for bed. "Let's get ready for bed." Mari moved to follow, as did Rei, leaving the boys in the room alone.

"Think we should wake him up?" Toji asked, indicating to Kensuke.

"No, let's just let him rest." Shinji replied cheekily, changing quickly into sleepwear, Toji doing the same. They were just settling in when the girls returned. Hikari and Rei both wore simple patterned pyjamas, while Mari made a show with her pink nightgown. They all settled in, as slowly, one by one, they each settled into a sleeping rhythm.

Shinji fell into a slumber last, dreaming as he did of a Red-haired Girl, waiting for him to arrive and see her again. He didn't know why, but he felt familiarity at the thought of retrieving and meeting the Second Child, as the girl helped him sleep, whispering sweet nothings into his ear, he smiled as he relaxed against the pillow.

Miles away, drifting on the waves of the sea, the Over the Rainbow continued its trek, it's decks deserted due to the night owl, the only people awake up on the bridge, surveying the surrounding seas.

Deep inside a cabin, Asuka Langley Soryu settled into her own bed in her room, happiness at being able to see Misato again tomorrow, and anxious to meet the Third Child and prove she was better than him.

As her eyes flittered shut, her dreams showed her a brown-haired boy with a shy but happy smile, taking her hand and leading her into the depths of sleep. Comfort, that was all she needed. As she dreamed, she had a smile on her face. Not one of sadness, or forced as she had to do many times, but one of complete and utter happiness.

**つづく**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that’s Chapter 18! Just some filler, but I needed to get Mari into Tokyo-3 and some scenes for each student individually. Not much of Misato here, or the NERV staff unfortunately, due to them getting a lot of presence in the last two Chapters. Lots of focus on the children cast here, and a little Toji/Hikari fluff for you all.
> 
> Now, next chapter, it’s the one you’ve all been waiting for… That’s right, Shinji and Asuka are finally going to meet! I need to note that Shinji/Asuka is the main pairing for this fic. Shinji/Rei is going to be very much a brother/sister relationship here. As for Mari, well, her reasoning and closeness to Shinji will be explained, let’s see if some of you can figure it out before the reveal, as Mari is an interesting character. But I know Shinji and Asuka meeting is what most of you are looking forward to! As such, next chapter begins the adaptation of Episode 8!
> 
> Finally, I’d like to take a moment to thank you all for sticking with me around my bad timing and similar. I will try very hard for the next chapter to not take so long to get out! I’m aiming for updating Story Untold one week, than Little Angel the next, so you’ll have to wait a couple weeks for Asuka proper unfortunately.
> 
> Until the 19th…
> 
> Chapter Title taken from: Evangelion 1.0, English.


	19. Asuka Strikes!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a strange dream, Shinji and his friends finally arrive on the Over the Rainbow to pick up Asuka Langley Soryu, the Second Child. Misato gets surprised by the sudden and unexpected appearance of an old flame, and another enemy quickly approaches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I apologise immensely for this chapter taking so long to come out. I had the Episode segments of this chapter finished about a month ago, but then got stuck writing new stuff because there isn’t much I can add here in the actual Episode itself. Thankfully I was able to get it done and it’s out now, thankfully. Time to meet up with Asuka!

**Darkness**

Darkness.

That's what it always felt like.

Uncle.

Aunt.

Waiting.

It never changed.

Bicycle.

Wrongly accused.

Despite everything.

Despite how everything had changed in months.

Nothing ever did.

Cell-like.

Trapped.

Light.

Warmth.

This was different.

Red.

Old friend.

She left me behind.

No, she didn't.

Don't be so hard on yourself, baka!

But you never returned.

I would've if I could've.

Why didn't you?

I tried, I tried so hard.

Why did you leave?

My father made me.

Your father.

Yes.

Why didn't you try and fight it?

I couldn't.

I had no power.

Will I see you again?

Soon.

What do you mean?

Soon.

What are you saying?

Soon.

Soon.

Soon.

Soon.

Believe.

I will see you again.

Shinji awoke.

Asuka awoke.

Minds melded together.

Life will never be the same…

* * *

**August 30th, 2015**

Pitch blackness. That was the current state of Gendo Ikari's office. The man himself sat as he always did, hands folded silently in front of his face. Unlike other cases, the man held a phone to his ear, in deep conversation with the other person.

"Correct. I have already made the necessary preparations and arranged it with the committee. The cargo left a few weeks ago from Sasebo Port. As of this very moment, it is on its way here, across the Pacific Ocean." Gendo finished his short call. Time was of the essence after all. He placed the Phone down carefully, satisfied.

* * *

For once, since Shinji had arrived in Tokyo-3, Misato had made it a goal to get up early for once, with the idea of actually wanting to be up early instead of being forced to due to NERV work.

It was because of this that for the first time, Misato was awake and ready to go before pretty much anyone else was. She headed towards the main living space, where the kids had set themselves up for the night. Misato fully expected all six teens to still be sleeping when she entered the room, however, Shinji was found wide awake, staring out the closest window.

She walked over quietly, sitting down next to the boy, trying hard not to wake anyone else up yet.

"Hey, Misato." Shinji said, his eyes not moving from the window.

"Up early, Shinji?" Misato asked, slight amusement in her voice.

"Always, Misato." Shinji replied, giving the woman a small smile. "Someone has to get up and cook breakfast." He jokingly said, intending to push the woman's buttons by implying she didn't usually get up early at all, instead preferring to sleep and get up when she wanted to. Misato slapped him playfully, smiling slightly at him.

"So, where is breakfast?" She replied, trying to get back at the boy. Shinji turned away, returning to staring out the window. "Shinji?" Misato asked, her tone of voice completely changing. "Are you okay?" She continued, her voice laced with concern for her charge.

"I'm fine, Misato. Just a weird dream." Shinji replied, his body language saying there was more to this dream.

"Seems like an interesting dream. You sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"It's fine, Misato. I'm going to go make breakfast." Shinji replied, standing and leaving towards the kitchen, where the clanging of kitchen appliances started to wake the others up from their slumber. Mari was the first one awake, quickly settling into her usual floaty self, she got up quickly and stretched, intending to highlight as much of her body as possible, something that she loved to do.

Kensuke awoke to Mari stretching in the middle of the room, his eyes widened and he promptly collapsed against the floor. Toji and Hikari woke up at similar times, staring straight at each other. They quickly got up and turned away from each other, blushing wildly. Somehow, they'd managed to end up snuggled together during the night, and Mari took notice of this with a massive smirk, intent on teasing the two teens as much as possible.

Throughout all of this, Rei quietly walked into the room, having gotten up, walked to the bathroom, and changed into her uniform. Mari noticed, turning towards the other girl, noticing her uniform.

"We really need to buy you some new clothes, Blueberry. School uniforms should only be worn at school." Mari stated coming to stand beside the First Child. Grabbing to fabric and shaking her head.

"Is this not good enough?" Rei asked, confusion in her voice. "These are clothes, and clothes hide my natural form." She said, causing Hikari to bush brightly, quickly ducking into the bathroom to change herself, fully intent on getting away from the sexual talk that Mari was inevitably going to say. "These clothes do that, so why can't I wear them?"

"As much as I'm sure everyone here would love to see our natural forms." Mari replied, winking at Kensuke and Toji, who were staring at the two girls with wide eyes. "This uniform is really designed for school use, because we need to be somewhat formal. You really need some clothes for casual use. Something like what Hikari's wearing." Hikari blushed at being brought into the spotlight, having changed into a striped shirt under a yellow sundress. She turned and sternly stared at Mari, her hands on her hips. Despite the completely different dress, she could still nail the Class Rep look.

"Sorry Freckles." Hikari rolled her eyes and headed towards the kitchen to help Shinji. "So, Blueberry, while the others are away getting our new pilot, we're going to go shopping!" Rei just nodded, before heading towards the Kitchen herself, ready for some food.

Mari smiled, stretching one last time, before gathering her stuff and heading to the bathroom to change herself.

Eventually, everyone ended up in the Kitchen for a scrumptious breakfast courtesy of Shinji Ikari, before they were all required to head to NERV HQ for various reasons. Mari and Rei would be required there for Sync Tests, and Mari would be trying to sync with Unit-01 in case anything happened while the rest of the group were collecting the Second Child.

* * *

The rather peaceful breakfast was suddenly stopped by Sachiel flying frantically into the room, Skeletal right on his tail, diving into the food Shinji had prepared for everyone's breakfast.

"This is the life." Sachiel stated, relaxing into the food, letting the sauces relax into his skin. Skeletal skuttled around inside as well, not getting the same feeling as Sachiel, but enjoying the food skuttling along his bones.

Ramiel flew in soon after, floating above the table, and using her drill to pick up some food for herself.

"Yes." She said, satisfied with what she was given, continuing to float above the table.

Shamshel was the most natural. Coming in quietly, sitting down at the table as best as he could, using his tendrils to collect food for eating. He'd decided to go with a more human size today, allowing him to sit at the table with everyone else. The completely normal reactions of the rest of the table indicated that this was no longer a strange occurrence, and had become perfectly normal in their interesting and strange lives that had been given to them.

"So," Misato started, her voice cutting through the silence that had perpetrated up to this point. "Are we all ready for our lovely trip?"

"Yes! Oh, it's going to be so exciting!" Kensuke replied, jumping up and down in his seat as only the military buff could do. "Old ships! And another Eva! I can't wait!"

"Calm down, Aida." Hikari said sternly, her Class Rep voice slipping back into play. "Personally, I'm looking forward to it. It should be interesting, and I can't wait to meet the new pilot!" She said. "I'm happy it didn't interfere with School though."

"Of course, can't miss School, that would be horrible."

"Learning is good for you, Suzahara!"

"Calm down, Hikari." Toji replied. "Just a joke." Hikari glared at him, as Mari spoke up from across the table.

"Hey, Miso," Misato nodded, indicating Mari to ask her question. "The new pilot is female, right?" Misato nodded with a small smile, directed more at Shinji than anyone else. Shinji stared blankly back at her, not understanding why she would be giving him a look.

"Yes, Mari she is."

"Great! That means the guys will be outnumbered!" She wooped, giving a large smile to everyone in the room. Shinji, Toji and Kensuke stared at each other, she was right after all. Hikari, Mari and Rei were already in their small group, when the new pilot arrived, they would be outnumbered 3 to 4…

"Shinji, we need a new male pilot so we don't stay outnumbered!" Toji commented, staring right at Shinji, who stared back at him, unimpressed.

A little while later, the group had separated, Hikari, Toji, Kensuke and Shinji making sure that they had everything they needed packed for their trip, while Mari and Rei packed up all the sleepover supplies.

In his room, Shinji glanced over it one last time, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything. A spare plugsuit lay nearby, which Shinji quickly grabbed in case anything bad happened while they were out, like an Angel attacking the ship, and the new pilot somehow ended up pulling him along for the ride. With a small smile, he was about to close his suitcase when he noticed a small object in the corner. Stepping over, he smiled as he pulled out his Purple see-through Game Boy, with Pocket Monsters Green sitting in the back, he smiled as he packed it, thinking he may finally get a use for it. With a small smile, he stood and exited the room, letting the door slide shut behind him.

* * *

"Reminder, never let Misato drive like that again." Shinji said as the group got out of the car at NERV HQ, after a rather dangerous drive with Misato doing her signature thing of breaking all the road rules at the same time.

"It's fine, Shinji!" Misato replied, ruffling his hair. "I'm with NERV, so I can deter anything that goes wrong."

"That still doesn't change the fact that you're driving could get someone killed…" Shinji said as the group slowly made their way through NERV HQ, the Angels taking a chance to float in the open for once, as NERV knew of their existence.

The lift doors closed behind them, taking them further into the triangular base. The first stop would be for Mari and Rei, who would be getting off near the Eva Cages, to have a normal Sync test. Rei in Unit-00 as normal, while Mari would be doing a general test first, to see how she stacks up against the other pilots. Afterwards, a decision would be made over whether she could test with Unit-01, as a backup in case Shinji was indisposed.

With the lift doors opening, Mari and Rei stepped out with a final wave, Skeletal following Mari at a brisk pace. The door closed again, this time taking the group up towards the Geofront surface, where the Helicopter Pad was located, with the Helicopter already sitting there, ready to take the group out to sea.

As the lift opened, the sounds of the Helicopter's rotors could be heard over anything else. Makoto stood nearby, making sure that final preparations were ready to go. "Morning Major!" He said, making himself heard over the loud rotors which were already spinning.

"Morning Hyuga!" Misato replied, staring out at the Helicopter, a member of Section 2 in the pilot's seat, ready to go. "How are we looking?"

"All good, Major!" Makoto replied, indicating to the Helicopter in question. "The Over the Rainbow is already prepared for your arrival, I've heard the Second Child is anxious to meet you, Shinji." He said, looking over at the Unit-01 pilot, who nodded with a small smile. He would be lying if he wasn't anxious to meet her either.

"Shinji's got an admirer!" Sachiel said, dancing around in the air, Ramiel joined in as best she could, however being an octahedron, there wasn't much she could do. Shamshel stared at his brother and sister in a mixture of bewilderment and affection.

"Shut up!" Shinji replied, his face starting to go red. Toji and Hikari smiled and giggled, finally feeling happy that someone else was getting teased instead of them.

"Don't be so happy, lovebirds!" Sachiel said, flying in front of the aforementioned teens. "You're still going to be…" Sachiel was cut off by Hikari's hair, which was once again let down on its own accord, whipping him in the face from the intense wind from the Helicopter's rotors.

Makoto laughed at the display, before indicating to the Helicopter, anxious to leave. "Well, if you'd like to hop into the craft. We'd like to get you going as quickly as possible." Kensuke rushed towards the transport, jumping in and settling in, his camera in his hands, set up and ready to go. Shinji followed at a more normal pace, silently getting in and looking out the window. Shamshel and Ramiel followed, hovering around inside. Sachiel however, had other things on his mind.

With a bout of strength, Sachiel pushed Toji and Hikari towards the Helicopter, with the full intent of having them sit together so they knew how they were absolutely perfect for each other. They sighed as Toji was pushed back into the seat, with Hikari practically falling into his lap, they both blushed hard as the door was shut by Makoto, while Misato jumped into the co-pilot's seat, putting the headphones over her ears.

"Are we ready, kids?" Misato asked, a large smile on her face, with two sets of thumbs up, and a couple of flustered attempts to reply to her, the Helicopter lifted of the ground, heading out of the Geofront, headed towards the Over the Rainbow.

With a smile on the ground, Makoto gave a final wave, shutting his folder as he headed back to the lift himself. Pushing the button for Central Dogma, he waited as the lift moved swiftly into the depths of NERV HQ. 'Time to tell Maya and Shigeru of the good news.' He thought as the doors opened, work and chatting to come.

* * *

The Helicopter made quick, fast movements across the rather interesting landscape. Inside, Misato Katsuragi sat with her charge, Shinji Ikari, and his friends, Toji Suzahara, Hikari Horaki and Kensuke Aida.

"Wow! Would you guys look at this!? It's a MIG-55 D Transport Helicopter!" Kensuke cried out in glee, his camera as always, mere inches away from his face as he tried to take in as much as possible. He had to record this after all. "This is amazing! Thank you, Miss Misato for the change to actually fly in one of these things! Man, it sure is great to have friends like you, right, Shinji?"

"Eh?" Shinji replied, glancing at the boy, nowhere near as excited as the army buff was. After all, this was just a pickup mission. Sachiel floated nearby, just as excited as Kensuke was.

"Yippee!" The Angel cried as he flittered around the small cabin, his brother Shamshel, sat in exasperation nearby, wondering when this was going to end. "This is great! Who knew you humans could do these things!"

"We also destroyed these things, Sachiel." Shamshel noted, just glancing up at his brother.

"Yes." Ramiel replied, floating nearby. No-one still had any idea of what it was that Ramiel did, so everyone just left the Angel to herself.

"Ah, whatever Shamshel! You've got to lighten up!" Sachiel replied, floating towards his brother. "Relax a little!" Shamshel just stared back. He was proud of his role as the reasonable one, thank you very much.

"Haha!" Misato laughed, turning around from her seat up front, to glance at the teens in the back. "Yeah, I figured you guys would get sick of waiting in the mountains constantly, so I took you guys out on a little date!" Misato winked, causing Shinji to glance back at her, unimpressed. Kensuke burst out of his seat, leaning forward.

"Are you saying this is a date, Misato!?" Misato smiled widely again, giggling slightly at the bespectacled boy's enthusiasm. Kensuke relaxed against the seat again, turning to Toji. "Hey Toji, did you hear that, this is a date!"

"Yeah, Ken, I heard." Toji replied dismissively. Hikari sat nearby, cuddled up against him, in a situation neither wanted to be in. Hikari's face was completely red, and she had just sat in dumbfounded shock since leaving NERV HQ, having not said a word. Considering the size of the cabin, someone had to squeeze in, and it just so happened to be Hikari. Toji was also uncomfortable, his face a similar shade of red. Needless to say, his thoughts were not on the purple haired woman up front.

"So, where are we going, again?" Shinji asked, his mask of unimpressiveness still on his face.

"Oh, we're just taking a nice little cruise along the Pacific on that cute little boat down there." Misato replied, indicating to the group of ships that could now be seen below. Kensuke got excited again, his face going red from the sheer amount of army that sat all around him.

"Oh my god!" He cried, his camera flittering wildly left and right. "Five aircraft carriers and four battleships! What a fleet! Do you see this Shinji!?"

"Yes, Kensuke, I can see it." Shinji replied, glancing out the window slightly.

"Wow! This is really what friends are for!" Kensuke said, flittering about wildly. The small group had shifted slightly, glancing down below. Toji and Hikari were still huddled together, the jock glancing out with a look of indifference.

"That is your cute little boat?" His voice coming out in a monotone. Severely disappointed after Misato's earlier comment. 'I just wanted to have a nice relaxing day with Hikari… Wait, what?' He thought, wondering why he had been thinking about the girl so much.

"Oh yeah! She sure is gorgeous!" Misato gave Toji a triumphant look after Kensuke's comment, causing the other boy to stick his tongue out at her. "That right there is the pride of the United Nations! The glorious super-carrier, the Over the Rainbow!"

"It's huge." Hikari stated, speaking up for the first time on the whole trip. She was still embarrassed, but she had managed to calm herself down a bit.

"Yep!" Misato replied, also glancing out the window. "What I'm more surprised about is how such a crusty old relic is still afloat."

"Nah!" Kensuke replied, his camera having not left his face yet. "It's not so bad. It is a vintage model from before the Second Impact!" The group settled back into their seats, watching the deck of the boat come closer to them, the Helicopter getting ready to touch down on the surface of the large carrier.

Nearby, in the Bridge of the Over the Rainbow. The gruff Captain had his eyes glued onto a pair of binoculars, a hard edge to his voice. He watched carefully as the Helicopter approached the deck, speaking in dissatisfaction. "Give me a break!" He said, his voice carrying gruff annoyance.

"Not only that, but they're bringing the power cables for that toy they have." His First Officer said from nearby, watching just as intently.

"Give me a break!" The Captain said again, his old and barely styled grey moustache flittering in annoyance. "This is a child's errand!" His First Officer, significantly younger, with a fresh mop of brown hair, nodded in agreement.

Above, a red-haired girl in a bright yellow sundress stood watching out. Her hair fluttering in the wind brought by the helicopter, a smug smile sat on her face, her blue eyes shining with challenge.

A loud clang brought the vessel to the surface of the deck, and quickly, the group of kids started to exit the Helicopter. The Angels had taken to hiding in Shinji's shirt pocket as they usually did, so they could not be seen by unsuspecting eyes.

_– Neon Genesis Evangelion OST – Track 9 – Asuka Strikes! –_

"Cool! Cool! Cool! Cool! Cool! Oh, this is awesome!" Kensuke cried out as he exited the Helicopter. Rushing ahead to get a good look at everything he could. His camera recording the entire time. "Real men would shed tears for this thing!" Kensuke said dramatically, continuing to rush forward and look at as much boats and jets as he could. The crew of the ship glanced around in amusement at the kid who was currently having some sort of freakout, laughter echoing through the deck.

Toji came out next, his cap he had put on for the day flying out into the distance. He rushed after it, exasperated at the wind. "Hey, wait up! Get back here!" He cried, dashing after it. Hikari came next, using her arms to smooth out her own yellow sundress as much as possible, she felt warmer though, as she had worn a nice striped shirt underneath. Shinji followed, yawning and stretching to crack his back, relaxing his muscles after the long trip. Finally, Misato brought up the rear, one hand clutching her hair to stop it from swaying in the wind, the other to hold onto her jacket, keeping it closed around her, a folder sitting in between.

"Hey! Wait!" Toji continued to shout, clamouring for anyone to stop his hat. "Come on! Please! That's my special hat!" His wish was granted, when his hat came to relax against the red heel of someone. Toji looked relieved, happiness gracing his features, when the heels stomped on the hat. He stopped, glancing up as the rest of their group came to a stop behind them. This person was obviously important.

"Why, hello Misato!" The girl said, causing everyone to stare at her. "How have you been?"

Shinji froze. Thoughts running through his mind like a record. She felt familiar, and yet, he couldn't figure out why she did. The young girl from his childhood flashed in his eye. He was so out of focus that he didn't hear Misato speak up from beside him.

"I'm fine, what about you? My goodness, you've really grown up huh?"

"Uh huh!" The girl enthusiastically replied, her foot still firmly crushing Toji's special cap, said boy continuing to struggle to pull it out from underneath her heels. "And it's not just my height either, my figures filled out as well!" Misato smiled as she continued.

"Everyone, let me introduce you to the designated pilot of Evangelion Unit-02, and the Second Child, Asuka Langley Soryu." Asuka smirked, a challenge in her eyes as she glanced around at the people in front of her. A sudden gust of wind suddenly brought everyone's attention to the young girl, deciding to give everyone a showcase of the girl's body, as her yellow sundress lifted under the intense wind.

Misato and Hikari simply glanced on as Asuka shrieked in alarm, pushed her sundress down to cover herself up again, and proceeded to slap all three of the boys in front of them. Hikari would've intervened, but she was stunned by what just happened. "Alright guys, let's just move on, please?" Hikari asked, pleading in her voice, she wasn't heard however, as Toji jumped up, annoyance in his face.

_– End –_

"What the hell did you do that for?" He cried, jumping up to face the girl in front of him. Kensuke groaned, pulling his camera away from his face, a rather cruel black eye behind it. Hikari groaned, her annoyance with Toji coming across in spades. Asuka noticed this, and gave the other girl a small smirk, she smiled slightly back, both pleased, and slightly worried about what she would do.

Asuka returned her attention to the jock in front of her, she wasn't impressed. Her hands were placed firmly on her hips, glaring down at the boy in front of her. "That's the viewing fee! It's quite a bargain, isn't it?"

"It's overpriced!" Toji replied, anger in his features. "But that's alright." He continued, fumbling with his belt. His friends groaned, covering their faces in horror as they figured out what Toji was about to do. Hikari frowned, anger and annoyance in her eyes. "Here! Have your change!" Toji was about to pull his pants down, when Hikari stepped forward, her Class Representative voice in full force.

"That's enough, Suzahara!" Toji glowered as the pigtailed girl stepped into his space, jabbing her finger at him in annoyance. "You've done enough to embarrass everyone here, but somehow you think continuing is the right answer!"

"But she…"

"That was the wind you complete and utter…" Hikari growled in frustration as Asuka stared at her with wide-eyes. She was going to slap the boy, but the other girl had beaten her to it. Instead, she decided to step forward, while Hikari continued to make sure her point was understood by the complete and utter _dummkopf _behind her.

"So, Misato? Which one is the famous Third Child I've heard so much about?" She asked innocently, as if nothing had happened in the last couple of minutes. She then frowned in disgust and turned back to Toji. "Ugh, _nein_, please don't tell me it was him."

"No, Asuka. It's not him." Misato replied, instead gesturing to Shinji who stood in front of her. "It's him."

Asuka froze. Mere moments ago, she was calm and collected, ready to showcase just how much of an Eva Pilot she was, and how she was the best, and how no new rookie pilot was going to take that away from her. But seeing this boy crushed those plans, he seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. She had her bastard father to thank for that…

She shook her head quickly, before returning to her usual tirade for any male who was not Kaji, complete and utter disgust. She leaned forward, glancing at him intently.

Shinji felt weird, conflicting feelings in his chest, he was getting irritated at what this girl was doing, yet it felt right to him. Like this was completely normal. He was snapped out of his thoughts by her quick and snappy comment. "Not much to look at." Shinji frowned, crossing his arms and staring right back at her, a challenge that Asuka met with willingness, a small smirk gracing her features.

"I could say the same about you." He replied, she frowned, stepping back to stare straight at him.

"Watch yourself, Third." She replied, meeting his stare head on, neither blinking once. "Don't want NERV's precious Third Child to be the cause of their undoing."

"Don't worry." Shinji replied flippantly. "I will be."

"_Wunderbar._" Asuka replied, a small smile gracing her lips. Before straightening and glancing at Misato, wondering what was next. Shinji gave a small smile as well, turning to face his guardian.

"Where to, Misato?" He asked, as Misato just stared wide eyed at them, she wasn't expecting Shinji to reply and meet her head on at all, from what she remembered of Asuka, she was incredibly headstrong, and not many people were able to meet her on an equal ground. 'It should be interesting watching those two.' She thought. She shrugged before leading the group towards the bridge, the door located nearby. She pushed the door open, and professionally stepped onto the bridge. Big Sister Misato was gone, Work Misato was in her place.

She extended her hand towards the captain, shaking it for a moment, the Captain frowned, his grey moustache twisting in barely disguised annoyance at the intrusion on his bridge. She gave the man a card, who glanced at it in disgust. The card was a light brown colour, her official NERV card. Barely anything could be gathered from the card, as anything that was classified had been crossed out efficiently beforehand.

"Hmm. NERV." The man said, the distaste evident in his voice. Misato frowned, but kept up her professional demeanour in front of the man. "So, you seemed to be the one in charge of this band of boy scouts, considering that display on the deck. But, it appears I was mistaken."

"I must thank you for your wonderful hospitality, Captain." She replied, her stoic demeanour still in place.

"Oh no!" The Captain replied sarcastically. "I must thank you for giving me and my crew the opportunity to babysit a bunch of kids." The Captain glanced to his right, annoyance clouding his face as Kensuke happily danced about the bridge.

"And we thank you for your assistance in the marine transport of Evangelion Unit-02." Misato pulled out a set of sheets from her folder and handed them to the Captain. Who snatched them out of her hand. "These sheets hold the specifications for the Evangelion's emergency power supply."

"I'm sorry to say, Major, but you've wasted a trip. I would never approve activating that toy whilst we are out at sea."

"Think of it as being prepared in case of a possible emergency." Misato replied, her face betraying no emotions, but her body stiffening. "Like a possible Angel attack? The Eva is quite valuable sir."

"It's so valuable that the entire pacific fleet is escorting it!? Yamanoi?"

"Yes, sir?" His First Officer replied, just as stoic as his Captain.

"Is it me, or has the UN Navy suddenly become a cargo service?"

"It's not just you, sir."

"Really? I would've believed it if I saw it." The Captain replied, sarcasm dripping from his lips.

"Captain? If my memory serves me correctly, I believe it happened once a certain organisation was established."

"Guarding a toy?" The Captain spat, twisting to stare out at the tarp covering the gigantic machine a few ships over. "This is quite a grandiose escort for the entire Pacific Fleet."

"It's still not enough." Misato replied, still calm and collected. "Especially considering the importance of the Eva." She grabbed another set of papers from her folder, holding them out to the Captain. "Would you sign these transfer documents, please?"

"Not yet, Major." The Captain replied sternly, letting his displeasure show. Misato just stared back, her small smile still forced on her face. "Unit-02 and its pilot have been entrusted to us by the Third Branch in Berlin. You aren't just going to waltz onto this ship and do as you please!" Misato composed herself, before continuing, as if nothing had happened.

"If that is the case, then when will you transfer Unit-02 and its pilot over to us?"

"Once we've unloaded the Unit in New Yokosuka." The First Officer replied, calmly but firmly.

"The ocean is our jurisdiction, Major. While you are on this ship, you will follow our orders." The Captain finished, nothing having changed in his face.

"I understand." Misato replied, snapping the folder shut and placing it under her arm again. "However, I feel the need to remind you than in the case of an emergency, NERV's military authority overrides your own." Shinji and his friends stared at Misato in a mixture of shock and indifference. To most of them, Misato was a cool older sister, who seemed like the least likely person to be a Director of Operations for a military group, yet here she was, speaking and acting completely different to how she usually did back at home.

"She can be reasonable." Hikari said, wonder and surprise going through her as she stared at the woman she thought she knew.

"She's sounding a lot like Ritsuko." Shinji commented in turn. The sound of a door opening wasn't heard, but a voice afterwards was.

"Well, I see you're as gallant as ever." The voice said, distinctly man-like. The group turned as one, curiosity etched on all their faces, on noticing the man standing in the doorway with a small but crooked smile.

"Kaji!" Asuka cried in happiness, turning quickly and raising her hand in greeting, Misato turned, immediately gasping in horror, a scowl coming across her features. No one else could hear her and understood why she was like this.

"Mr. Kaji, how many times do I have to tell you, you must not insist to invite yourself onto the bridge."

"Oh, my apologies." Kaji replied, sounding completely unapologetic, stepping briefly into the room. "I just had to come see Asuka again after coming back onto the ship after my assignment. But it seems some other lovely people have arrived as well." Kaji gave a sly smile, directed straight at Misato, who growled in annoyance and stomped out of the room, pushing past Kaji in annoyance, the rest of their little group followed, stepping onto the stairs leading to the lower level, when they noticed Misato was still standing in the doorway, a salute in place, talking to the Captain.

"Excuse us, then." She said firmly. "Just make sure you get us to New Yokosuka as ordered." The door shut firmly behind her, indicating her leave.

"Shit!" The Captain said, glancing at where Misato once stood. "Those children are going to be the cause of Mankind's salvation."

"I suppose that times are changing, Captain." The First Officer replied. "I also understand that congress has put its hopes behind that robot."

"On that child's toy!?" The Captain said in exasperation, swirling in his chair to glance out the window, towards the ship where Unit-02 lay under a cream tarp. "What idiots! If they've got the money to blow on those toys then they ought to give us a little more!"

* * *

Meanwhile, miles underwater. A whale-like creature swiftly moved through the bleakness of the ocean. A long fin streached out behind, and the creatures mouth was filled with teeth, looking like a massive cross between a Shark, Whale and a Jellyfish.

_Hahaha! Hey guys, look! I'm actually going to do something! _The fish gleefully swam back and forth underneath the water. _As you already know, I am the strongest! Hahaha! Oh, cra-_ The fish's musings were cut off as he collided with the side of a ship, causing the ship to rock slightly back and forth. _What was I doing? Oh, yeah! Going to find the mother! Mother? Mother, where are you? Mooooothhhhhhheeeeeeer!?_

* * *

The group of seven moved towards the nearest lift and stepped inside, as the door shut behind them, they instantly realised that maybe having some of the group wait for another lift was a good idea, as this lift they were now all in was incredibly crowded. Kensuke looked right at home, not really caring about the situation as he continued to swing his camera around in glee, nearly hitting Hikari in the face, who was currently hugged up against Toji, who was trying really hard to stay calm and not make any rash decisions, who in his haste, accidently bumped Shinji straight into Misato's chest, who didn't care at the distraction because she was glaring heatedly at Kaji, who simply smiled slyly at her in affection, while constantly trying as much as possible to move away from Asuka, who was desperately trying to use him as a leaning pole. All in all, it was the worst trip in a lift any of them had ever had.

"What the hell are you doing here!?" Misato said in annoyance, her gaze having not moved from Kaji at all. Kaji simply gave a grin before responding.

"Accompanying her." He said simply, gesturing down at the redhead beside him. "I'm on a… let's call it a business trip." Misato scowled, and turned away from Kaji, shifting Shinji below her, who started to fall backwards towards Asuka.

"Talk about being careless. I should have anticipated this." Misato said to herself, as Shinji collapsed onto Asuka, his hands landing firmly on her breasts.

"Oh shit." Shinji said bluntly, as Asuka's face turned a heated red, and she started trying her hardest to hit the boy who'd dared touch her. The redhead couldn't move though, and a large shout from Misato stopped her immediately.

"Hey, watch where you're touching!" Misato shouted, her face staring daggers at Kaji, who had the decency to look down slightly as he replied.

"I can't help it!" He responded. "If you haven't noticed Katsuragi, it's quite crowded in here."

Misato growled as the door finally opened, and the group, in their haste to get out, ended up in a tangle of limbs on the floor. The only two to stay out of the situation, was Toji and Hikari, who had stayed up holding onto each other as everyone hustled to get out.

With a glare at Kaji, Misato stood and swiftly entered a small dining area. Kaji quickly stood and followed her, a small smile gracing his lips the entire time. Shinji stood and turned toward Asuka, and decided to hold a hand out to her. She stared at it for a moment, contemplating whether to give this boy she'd just met her time of day. _Do it, Asuka. Take his hand. You need each other._ A voice echoed around her head, sounding suspiciously like her own, younger self. With a small smile, she let the boy take her hand and pull him up. Before letting go and strutting proudly into the dining area. Shinji followed behind at his own pace. Small smiles on both their faces. Kensuke followed enthusiastically, his camera still trying to catch as much as possible. Finally, Toji and Hikari silently walked into the room, where more stuff was happening.

They slowly sat down next to Kensuke, who sat next to Misato, a frown on her normally happy face, turned as much as she could from Kaji, who sat across from her, a wistful look and smile on his face, his foot tapping hers in an attempt to get her attention. Beside him, sat Asuka and Shinji, amusement on both their faces.

"So," Kaji started, his foot still not giving up. "Are you seeing anyone right now?" He asked innocently, curiosity in his face and voice.

"I don't see why that's any of your business." Misato replied, her arms cross tightly in front of her chest.

"I'm hurt." Kaji replied, taking his mug and relaxing against the seat. "Ow." He said, trying to make the woman react. "You're acting quite cold, aren't you?" Misato didn't answer, continuing to look anywhere but the man sitting across from her. Kaji smiled, leaning back and turning towards Shinji. "So, Shinji. I hear you're living with Katsuragi right now?"

"Yeah, that's right." Shinji replied, slight confusion in his voice.

"Tell me something, Shinji." Kaji said with a smile, glancing over at Misato for a moment, who continued to grumble about unruly attractive men who don't know what no means. "Is she still, how do I put this… Wild in bed?"

"WHAT!" Was the collective reaction from anyone who wasn't Shinji or Kaji, complete bafflement crossed the faces of the teens in the room. Misato's was the loudest, her face having paled considerably and her eyes wide as saucers.

"Wha… Why…" She mumbled, before anger overtook her and she slammed her hands on the table, her face coming inches in front of Kaji. "What the hell are you implying by that!?" Kaji glanced at her, his face an air of amusement as the woman stared hard at him.

"So, it seems that Katsuragi hasn't changed at all. Am I right, Shinji?" Misato huffed and collapsed back into her seat, her head situated firmly in her hands.

"Uh, I guess…" Shinji replied, not sure how to answer the man. "I'm more interested in how you knew my name?"

"Well, I'd ought to know you. Why you're famous in our business!" Kaji replied, indicating at Shinji directly. "The famous Third Child! Who was able to pilot an Evangelion in combat for the first time in his life with no training at all." Asuka frowned slightly, she had spent years honing her skills in an Eva, and she wasn't going to let a generic boy who had only recently started piloting take that from her.

'Even if he feels familiar and is able to stand up to me.' The young girl thought, staring hard at the boy next to her.

"Thanks, I guess, but it was nothing really. Mostly luck." Shinji replied, scratching the back of his neck in a sense of embarrassment. Asuka softened slightly, so he knew it was all luck.

"Well Luck is a great talent to have, Shinji." Kaji replied, getting along with the boy swimmingly. "If you can't tell already, it's a part of your destiny." Kaji smiled, before standing abruptly. "Well, it's been nice, but I must take my leave. I will see you all later."

"Okay, see you." Shinji replied, giving the man a small wave. A chorus of byes went around the table, as most of the group said goodbye to Kaji. Misato didn't, her head still in her hands, staring directly at the table.

"This has to be a really bad joke, or just a nightmare." She said to herself in horror, memories of years before coming back to her mind.

* * *

Kaji had settled against the edge of the Over the Rainbow, staring out at the waves nearby. He heard the door opening nearby, and Asuka stepping onto the deck. She stepped towards the banister, and started swinging her legs back and forth on it, she was happy to spend time with Kaji, even if it wasn't under the greatest circumstances. Kaji however was more interested in having a conversation with Asuka, about the person she had recently met.

"So, Asuka. Tell me. What do you think of Shinji Ikari?" He asked, as Asuka glanced at him in surprise.

"You mean the _Great_ Third Child?" She replied, a bit of sarcasm sitting in her voice. "He's… interesting I guess." Asuka said, wanting to keep talking but remembering how Kaji hadn't know about her old childhood friend.

"Well, it was definitely surprising when he managed a sync ratio of over 40 in his first sortie with no training."

"_Mein gott!" _Asuka replied, slipping into German for a moment, something she usually did when she was excited or annoyed. With a triumphant smirk, she stormed away from Kaji, heading towards the elevator leading to the deck, intent on running into Shinji.

* * *

Misato had calmed down considerably since the episode in the Dining Area regarding Kaji, she now had a small smile on her face, signs of worry completely gone. Shinji stood nearby, a good-natured smile on his face. Toji relaxed against the arm of the elevator as it took them back up to the deck. Kensuke continued to use his camera wildly. Hikari stood waiting nearby, annoyance on her face.

"That Captain wasn't the nicest person!" She said in her authoritive Class Rep voice. "If he acted like that in a class I would…"

"Would what?" Toji asked, intent on teasing the girl. "Give him cleaning duty for a month?" Hikari blushed at the teasing and ducked her head. Keeping her face hidden.

"I would give Hikari credit, Toji." Misato stated, intent on helping the girl. "That Captain is a very proud man. Too much of it can make you very resentful and sarcastic."

"Say, Misato. Do you know Kaji? He seems very lively and funny." Shinji asked, wondering about this new person in his life. Misato growled.

"That idiot hasn't changed a bit, that chauvinistic pig!" Shinji smiled slightly at Misato, feeling that she was hiding something deep inside her. His thoughts were cut off at the sound of the Second Child's voice.

"Hey, Third Child!" Shinji turned, seeing Asuka standing at the top of the elevator, a hand on her hip, staring down at him. He flushed under her intense gaze, yet never never letting his own gaze up. "You're coming with me!" He gasped as she grabbed onto his hand and pulled him away with her. He glanced back at his friends, wanting a way out. Hikari looked happy for him, while Misato was giving him a sly smile. Toji and Kensuke were under a different impression, instead looking at Asuka with annoyance. He sighed as he realised he wasn't getting out of this situation as he was pulled onto a small lifeboat nearby. Asuka intent on taking him to another ship.

They didn't speak as the boat jetted across the ocean. He kept glancing over at her, and she kept glancing at him. They knew why they continued to glance at each other. Memories of years ago at the forefront of both their minds. But neither could place it. Neither could figure out why this was suddenly on the forefront of their minds, for the first time in years.

They were both interrupted in their thoughts by their arrival at the next boat. A large tarp covering a machine underneath. She grabbed his hand again and led him to the tarp. Letting go to step forward and lift it up slightly, letting Shinji see what was underneath.

"That's really an interesting colour…" Shinji said, not knowing what to say in this situation. "I didn't know Unit-02 was red." He said bluntly, hoping it came across decently. Asuka turned and stared right at him, speaking once again.

"That's not all that's different about Unit-02." Asuka smirked, then ducked under the large tarp, indicating him inside with her finger. He silently followed, stepping onto buoys on a small pool of water. Inside this pool, sitting on the surface, was Evangelion Unit-02. Mostly Red in colour, yet having mainly White highlights where Unit-01's Green was. Unit-02 also had the small distinction of having small bits of Orange littered around the Unit. Its face was significantly different to Unit-01 and Unit-00, having a total of four small Green eyes compared to Unit-01's two eyes and Unit-00's one large eye. It also had two small horns, similar to Unit-01's one large horn. Shinji glanced up at Asuka, who had taken a position on the Eva itself, looking down at him.

"After all, Unit-00 and Unit-01 were created as part of the development process of an Evangelion. Being the Prototype and the Test Type respectively. That explains why it easily synced with an untrained pilot like you is proof of that." Shinji just stared up at her, not letting any emotion show on his face. "But Unit-02 is different! My Evangelion was created for actual combat purposes, the world's first Evangelion Production Model! The final step for an Evangelion!" She smirked down at him, letting her pride in herself and her Eva show. Shinji just continued to stare at her, an eyebrow raised.

A sudden shock rocked the cabin, sending Asuka toppling towards the buoys below. She collapsed on the ground, slightly hurt, but otherwise fine. She took Shinji's offered hand and pulled herself up.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Shinji said, to both Asuka and the Angels hiding in his pockets.

"It was an undersea shock wave!" Asuka said, letting go of Shinji's hand and running outside, intent on getting a view of what this thing was. "And on top of that, it sounded close!" Shinji quickly followed, coming to a stop beside her on a railing. He stared out at the sea, obvious that something was happening. "Look!" Asuka said, pointing out at the sea. A sudden explosion rocked a battleship nearby, causing the entire thing to sink quickly into the water. Waves came up quickly as the object moved around the area. Crashing and sinking another battleship in its wake.

"Everything points to that being an Angel!" Shinji said, getting the girl's attention beside him.

"An Angel?" Asuka replied, a fearful look coming onto her face. "You mean a real one?" The nervousness was starting to set in now. Another gigantic wave came out of the sea, crashing into a nearby ship.

"This is bad!" Shinji said, starting to move for the lifeboat that got them here. "Asuka! We have to head back and find Misato! She'll know what to do!" Shinji stared as Asuka continued to stare out at the water. She turned to him with a smirk on her face, her intentions clear. Shinji sighed, knowing what was about to happen.

"_Wunderbar!_" Asuka muttered, glee and excitement in her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> German – English:  
Dummkopf = Idiot  
Nein = No  
Wunderbar = Wonderful  
Mein Gott = My God
> 
> Well there we go! Asuka has arrived, Unit-02 is ready for battle, and Gaghiel is on his way! Just a couple things, I don’t know if I mentioned this before, but all Eva Units are based on their appearance in Rebuild, which explains the bits of white that Unit-02 has here 
> 
> As for why the Angels don’t get much appearance here after the first few scenes, it’s simply because no one on the OTR or Kaji and Asuka actually know about their unique abilities yet. Don’t worry, they’ll have more scenes in the next chapter.
> 
> For a long time, I contemplated over using Asuka Langley Soryu or Asuka Langley Shikinami, by the time I wrote Asuka’s first appearance in Chapter 5, I’d decided upon Soryu. This took a while, as I considered the female pilot trinity that Rebuild has if I used Shikinami, because Mari is also in the story, (For anyone who doesn’t know: Rei Ayanami, Asuka Langley Shikinami, Mari Illustrious Makinami.) However, I have plans for Hikari later on, and decided against it, so here Asuka is Soryu, not Shikinami. In terms of personality, she’s going to be mainly based on the Anime, with aspects of Rebuild and Manga intertwined in. So, we’ll see how that goes.
> 
> Next time! The battle against Gaghiel, and Asuka meets the Angels! Until then… 
> 
> Chapter Title from: Neon Genesis Evangelion E8, English


	20. Unit-02, Lift Off!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinji and Asuka fight a threat under the sea, as Asuka fights an Angel for the first time! After thinking they got rid of her for good, guess who shows up in class!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took way too long to come out… and I apologise for that. The real reason was simply that I kept getting new ideas for this Chapter the more that I wrote it. The final word count: About… 16,500 Words! That's a new record! We'll see if we beat it at some point. Adapting the Second Half of Episode 8 here! Asuka and Shinji fight Gaghiel, and Gaghiel becomes a Shoulder Angel! Also there's some brand new stuff wedged in there as well. Hope you all enjoy it!

**August 30th, 2015**

A loud siren wailed on the Over the Rainbow, making sure that it could be heard over the loud and constant rapping of the waves against the sides of the ship. Over the nearby loudspeaker, a message was relayed across to all ships in the fleet, an indication that something big was happening. "All ships, take evasive action! Watch the formation! Keep it clean!" A large explosion occurred, and bits of a ship started to fly around, sinking quickly into the ocean, or impacting against other ships in the fleet, causing more trouble than was already occurring.

_– Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I – Track 3 – Angel Attack –_

Up on the Bridge, the First Officer was frantic, a radio handset in his hand. The Captain sat nearby, binoculars plasted firmly on his face, staring out at the sea. "What's the status report?" The First Officer said, speaking firmly and quickly despite the escalating situation.

"The Cymbeline's gone silent!" Came the frantic and horrified voice from the other side. "Titus Andronicus can't locate the target! Oh, my god! Ushakov is taking in water, and quick!"

The Captain growled in frustration, and the frantic breathing could still be heard from the radio. "Damn it all! What in the hell is going on here!? The United Nations has never dealt with something like this before!" In the Captain's annoyed musings, he didn't notice Misato coming in quietly, standing in the doorway, a smug look on her face.

"Hello! NERV delivery calling!" Misato called out with a touch of spite in her voice, as she stared about the bridge, noting the majority of the room's occupants moving around in a jerky, frantic way. "Would you like to buy some information on this invisible unknown enemy and get some info on some possible countermeasures?" Misato said, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Leave immediately Major!" The Captain replied, annoyance as always in his tone. "This is a combat situation! No non-essential personnel are allowed! So, get the hell off my bridge!"

"Wow! Touchy!" Misato replied, her face morphed into a triumphant smirk. "This is just my opinion, and you can continue with your own operation if you want to die quickly and painfully! But I'd say we're dealing with an Angel Attack right now!" Shinji's three friends appeared behind Misato, looking inside with slight apprehension.

"What's happening here?" Toji asked, glancing around the bridge. Officers were rushing around, making sure that everything was currently in order.

"Looks like an Angel Attack!" Kensuke replied, grabbing his camera as quickly as possible, loading it up with a new memory card. "This is gonna be great!"

"Great!" Hikari replied, staring at the military buff in indignation. "It's not great when an Angel attacks! If it wasn't for Shinji and Rei, and now Mari and Asuka in their Eva's, we'd most likely be dead right now." Hikari crossed her arms in front of her chest, glaring at the Captain across the way. "And something tells me that the Captain isn't one to give up command easily."

The group's words were heard on deaf ears though, as another order came from the captain. "All ships, on my signal! Fire at will!"

"Roger!" Came the collective reply from the Bridge, as well as multiple voices at once over the radio. Misato sighed, staring at the ground in annoyance.

'How can one person be so proud!?' She thought as the ships started to fire all their missiles. "It's pointless!" She cried out as the Captain just waved her off, indicating to continue to fire.

"He's an idiot." Toji stated, watching as the Missiles started firing from every ship.

"Agreed." Hikari said, staring out at the distant ship, where Unit-02 sat under a tarp. "Shinji and Asuka haven't returned since they left. Should we be worried?"

"I'm sure they'll be fine!" Kensuke replied, keeping his camera trained on the Missiles. "This is great!"

The missiles landed in the water, and moved quickly, sweeping towards the Angel in the sea, known as Gaghiel. The aquatic Angel glanced over at the quickly approaching missiles, his movement creating ripples and waves in the water. _How cute! _He noted as the missiles exploded in his face, creating more explosions in the water, and causing another ship of the fleet to collapse and explode inwards as it was hit. _You missed! How about you try again!_

Kaji stood on a deck nearby, watching silently as the frigate exploded finally from the pressure. Having witnessed the Nineteenth Angel in his little trip, this new Angel was no surprise to him, knowing that this was the Sixth Angel. "Not even an AT Field can be penetrated with this kind of firepower, this is why we need the Eva's." He noted, glancing up at the Bridge, where Misato was staring hard out the window, Kensuke not far behind, his camera still flipping left and right.

'But what is the Angel doing here?' Misato thought, wondering laced through her thoughts. She suddenly stopped, her eyes widening. 'Could it be after Unit-02? Maybe it's trying to sabotage us before we get it.'

_– End –_

* * *

Asuka smirked as she ran back towards Shinji and grabbed his hand, running quickly back under the tarp that Unit-02 was hiding under. She quickly grabbed a red bag with Unit-02 written on it, dashing towards the nearest staircase. She growled as Shinji struggled to keep up with her, nearly falling over again. "_Mein gott, beeil dich!_" She said, dashing past a staircase. Shinji stared at her, wondering just what the hell she was saying.

"Wait a minute!" Shinji said, trying to pull her back the other way to stop her for a brief moment. "Where are we going?" Asuka growled as she turned and stared at him in annoyance, she was about to speak when she noticed the staircase. She stood in the doorway, glancing inside for a brief moment. When satisfied, she turned and stared straight at Shinji, daring him to follow her.

"Wait here a moment!" She said, before dashing down the stairs, just out of sight. Shinji stared after her with his mouth wide open, wondering what the hell had just happened.

"I don't believe this!" He said, in slight annoyance. "What is going on here?" He glanced down at the Angel's in his pocket, who just shrugged up at him. They didn't know anything about this girl, who'd just happened to wander into their lives suddenly.

"I don't think I like her very much." Sachiel said quietly, so only Shinji and his siblings could hear him.

"She seems very, headstrong." Shamshel said, agreeing with Sachiel. Ramiel just nodded, unsure of what else to say.

"Any idea who's out there?" Shinji asked, intent on getting any information he could out of the Angels while Asuka was gone.

"I think I have an idea." Sachiel replied. "We're out at sea, and we're transporting a new Evangelion Unit, there must be something here that our brethren are after, as we wouldn't be here otherwise."

"It's not after Unit-02?"

"Without a doubt." Shamshel replied. "We don't care about the Eva's, we only fight them when you guys get in the way. No, it's here for something else."

"Yes." Shinji glanced over at Ramiel, who'd taken to relaxing… somewhat… inside his shirt pocket.

"Do you know who it is?" Shinji asked, apprehension dawning. 'There's been an Angel, Mari's Angel, Skeletal, who wasn't known by these three before she arrived. Who knows what is out there, and if there's anything they can tell me.' Shinji thought, things had changed quite a bit since he'd arrived in Tokyo-3, to say the least.

"Yes." All three replied at once. "Gaghiel." Sachiel and Shamshel said in unison, Ramiel simply nodding to affirm her answer.

"Anything Asuka should know?" Shinji said, glancing over at the staircase, where Asuka had ducked away.

"Well, Gaghiel has always loved water." Sachiel started. "So, he most likely will stay underneath the sea."

"So, no fighting on land?"

"No." Shamshel replied. "Although I don't know how you would fight on land anyway. It's kind've impossible."

"Fair." Shinji replied. "So, he'll most likely stay underwater. Anything else? Like where the core is?"

"Don't know." Sachiel replied. "It's been years since I've seen Gaghiel, I wouldn't be able to tell you."

"Yes." Shinji sighed.

'Great, we're out at sea, with a new pilot who's never been in a real Angel battle before, and she's about to go out without C-Type Equipment.' He leaned back, staring at the staircase again. 'What is she doing down there that's taking this much time!?'

The rustling of clothes, and the unmistakeable dropping of a dress made Shinji immediately aware of what was happening on the staircase just out of his view. He just stared in annoyance as she took a while to do whatever she was doing. "She's taking too long." Shinji said, staring straight ahead.

With a small sigh, Asuka pulled her red plugsuit over her nude body, pulling it into place. She was just about to make sure her hands where in the right position when Shinji in annoyance glanced over the railing to see what was taking so long. Asuka's sudden shriek emanated in the staircase as Shinji quickly ducked back behind the staircase, as Asuka turned to shout at him, unintentionally giving the boy a small show. "_Gucknicht, du pervers!_" Asuka said in annoyance, glaring at where the boy once stood. "You, absolute deviant!"

"Sorry!" Came Shinji's voice from behind the staircase, Asuka paying him no mind as she returned to what she was doing, making sure her hands where in the plugsuit.

"Why do all boys have to be a bunch of perverted jerks!" She said loudly, so Shinji could hear her ranting to herself. "_Dieser dumme Idiot!_" She cried in frustration and annoyance. Shinji sat above once again, sighing to himself.

'She sure has a lot of opinions.' Shinji thought as Sachiel smirked at him.

"Smooth." Sachiel commented once again, causing Shinji to glare at the Angel.

With a final sigh, Asuka flipped her hair out of the way, before pressing the button on her wrist to pressurise the Plugsuit to her body. She stared ahead, apprehension lining her face slightly. "Well, here we go." She said to herself, in reassurance. "Let's do this, Asuka."

* * *

On deck, missiles were continually fired into the sea in an attempt to attack Gaghiel. Every time however, the missiles would explode on contact, but not hurt Gaghiel at all. The attempt to fire missiles into the air and explode on contact didn't help either. The Captain grew increasingly frustrated at his lack of success with his plan.

"Why the hell won't it sink!?" The Captain said, his First Officer standing right behind him, just as frustrated.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Hikari said, bringing the attention of everyone in the room to her. She frowned at all of the crew, her Class Rep mode coming into full effect. "Only an Eva has the capabilities to beat it!"

"What was that!?" The Captain replied, bearing down on the young girl, glaring right at her. "Are you saying that we, the United Nations Pacific Fleet, do not have the ability to take care of a normal sea creature!"

"Knock it off!" Toji said, standing in front of Hikari in a show of protection. "She's only voicing exactly what everyone here on the bridge is thinking!" The Captain frowned, glaring at the boy, before turning away in annoyance.

"Oooohhh! I don't like that man!" Hikari said in annoyance, staring back out at the tarp covering Unit-02.

* * *

Shinji glanced up as Asuka walked up the staircase. He quickly shook the Angel's away, pushing them towards a hiding place better than his shirt pocket, they quickly nodded and dashed back into the main room, hiding away behind some boxes. Shinji nodded in approval before turning back to Asuka. He froze. She was wearing her Plugsuit, primarily a red colour, with the occasional green or orange highlight here and there, highlighted with black stripes in key locations. Shinji gulped as his eyes moved to the girl's breasts, her Plugsuit changed to a lighter red colour at her breasts, making them stick out to the teenage boy. Like with Rei before her, and Mari as soon as she showed him her own Plugsuit, the material hugged her body tightly, showing off the girl's curves to the boy. Asuka glared at him with a light red tinge on her cheeks, before throwing something at the boy. He caught it quickly, trying not to stumble over his feet after staring at her, turning it over in his hands to get a good look at it. When he realised it was her spare plugsuit, he stared at her unimpressed as she put her hands on her hips and pointed at him.

"Well," She said, staring right at him. "Put it on!"

"What?"

"Don't just stand there!" She said, coming right into his face. "Get moving! Don't you realise you're coming too!"

'She wants me to wear her plugsuit… designed to fit her body type… Lord, help me…' Shinji thought as he quickly ducked into the stairwell and changed himself. Asuka stared after him a moment, a brief fleeting thought told her to look at him as well.

'It would be nice revenge…' She shook her head and banished the thought away quickly. 'There's only one, Kaji. No one else will ever take his place…' Her thought finished fleetingly as Shinji walked back out, wearing her plugsuit, which really didn't fit him that well. She glanced down for a moment and blushed slightly, before looking back at him.

'Note to self:' Shinji thought. 'Next time, don't leave my own plugsuit with Misato when new pilots kidnap me and force me to fight with them when an Angel appears.' Asuka just stared in shock. "Well?" Shinji said, crossing his arms across his chest, looking noticeably silly in Asuka's plugsuit. "What now?" He said, meeting her hard gaze with his own.

"What do you think?" She replied, grabbing his hand subconsciously again and heading towards Unit-02. "We're going to defeat that Angel in my Unit-02!" Asuka said, jumping onto the shoulder pylon and opening up the back of the Eva, freeing the Eva's Entry Plug from its confines. Shinji climbed up after her, moving to stand beside her.

"Don't you think we should get permission from Misato, first?" Shinji asked, a bit annoyed about the current situation. She turned and looked him straight in the eye, the distance between the two getting ever smaller. Asuka didn't know why, but she felt so comfortable around Shinji, someone who she'd never met before now.

"We can get her permission after we win." Asuka replied, a smirk on her face. As Eva Unit-02's Entry Plug opened up, the seat inside waiting for its occupant. "Now, let me show you how magnificent my piloting is! And you, Third, get a seat right up close and personal!" She said, indicating inside. She climbed in, settling into the seat, with Shinji following closely behind. She settled into the seat, resting her hands against the controls, breathing slowly but surely. Shinji glanced around, already aware of his surroundings, and waiting for battle. They felt the ship shake, and with them, Unit-02 itself.

Outside, another boat sank quickly into the water, as Gaghiel continued its assault. _Yippee! This is fun! Oh, there's another one! _Another ship cracked in half and started to sink as well. Gaghiel suddenly stopped, turning slightly. _I feel my siblings… What is going on!?_ He continued his trek, completely confused as to why this was a strange feeling. He glanced around. _Better actually focus on what I came here for… Nah! Another one can't hurt!_

From the bridge, Misato stared out at the sea. Confused for a moment. 'This is strange. It's almost like it's… looking for something…'

* * *

"Give me a break!" Kaji said over the phone, his bags packed nearby, ready to leave at a moment's notice. "No! I didn't know that an Angel was going to attack! Your patience is running thin! This isn't quite the circumstances of the deal we had, isn't it, Ikari?"

"No." Gendo replied over the phone, calm as always. "However, it is fine. Unit-02 is there, as is its pilot, and I have supplied the Third as a spare in case anything goes wrong. If the worst comes to worst, make the escape by yourself." Kaji sighed, staring out the blinds in his small room.

"I know." Kaji replied, hanging up quickly. "And at this rate, that just might be what I have to do."

* * *

"Should we really leave Shinji with her?" Sachiel asked, for once being the voice of reason.

"I don't know Sachiel," Shamshel replied, his tendrils wringing back and forth. "For what it's worth, they'll both be fine in the Eva."

"We could help them?" Sachiel said. "I know we can use the Eva effectively, and give it new abilities."

"If it was just Shinji, we'd be in there right now." Shamshel replied. "But right now, not only is this a Unit we don't have any knowledge about, there's also another pilot in there. Who doesn't know about us."

"Not yet, anyway."

"I know that, Sachiel."

"Maybe we should go in there, so she's not surprised after Gaghiel is defeated."

"Yes."

"See?"

"No, Sachiel we are staying here. In fact, we should probably get back to Misato. We're not going to be much use here."

"No."

"Ramiel?" Shamshel said, turning abruptly to the blue Angel.

"No."

"What do you mean, no?"

"No." Ramiel said one last time, before flying quickly towards the Entry Plug of Unit-02, ducking inside before it closed completely.

"Ramiel!" Sachiel said, flying after him. "What do we do, Shamshel? She got in!" Shamshel sighed.

"We hope she doesn't get herself in trouble." He replied, honestly. "Shinji told us to wait out here, as much as we want to help him we can't. He knows the new pilot doesn't know about us, and wants to make the transition as smooth as possible."

"But that won't happen now." Sachiel said, floating beside Unit-02. "What now?"

"We go back to Misato." Shamshel said, floating towards the open air. "And help out as best we can." Sachiel nodded, before floating beside his brother, heading quickly towards the Over the Rainbow.

"You do know I'm older than you right?" Sachiel said, sounding smug. Shamshel smirked, well, he tried to.

"I know. But I'm wiser than you." He replied. The brothers laughed as they made their way to the bridge, ducking out of sight so they couldn't be seen.

* * *

The Entry Plug flashed its usual start up sequence as it adjusted to the view outside. Asuka sighed as this happened, settling into position. "_LCL Füllung._" She said in her native tongue as LCL started to fill the plug. She closed her eyes, settling into sync as she ran through the Unit-02 start up commands. "_Systemsprache: Deutsch. Initiieren Sie die Aktivierungssequenz. Stellen Sie neuronale Verbindungen her und geben Sie LCL zu. Gehirnwellen und synaptische Verbindungen: Positi. Synchronisation starten._" The Plug flashed through a couple of sequences, before suddenly stopping and the entire plug being replaced with a flashing Error, shown as _Fehler_. Shinji glanced up as the incessant beeping continued.

"A program error? What happened?" Asuka frowned, and turned to look at him.

"It's thought noise! Yours to be exact. I thought I told you not to disturb me!"

"You never mentioned anything like that!" Asuka frowned as she realised he was right. She hadn't mentioned anything like that.

"You're right." She replied, slightly annoyed. "But you're thinking in Japanese, and as such, are conflicting against my thinking in German. If you're going to think, do it in German!"

"Well, okay. Don't expect anything amazing though. Bratwurst… Strudel…" Asuka's eyes widened in annoyance.

"_Dummkopf! _Just… forget about it! Switch base language to Japanese. Start Synchronisation sequence from scratch." The Entry Plug complied, restarting the activation sequence and flashing many patterns and colours. Eventually settling on the view outside the Eva, showing the inside walls of the ship. "Evangelion Unit-02, move out!"

* * *

_– Neon Genesis Evangelion OST II – Track 12 – Spending Time in Preparation –_

"Emergency communication from the Othello! Evangelion Unit-02 is currently in the process of activation!"

"What did you say!?" The Captain said in annoyance, turning around abruptly and staring hard out the window as one of the other ships in the fleet started to rock back and forth slightly. The group of friends turned quickly, smiles dawning on their faces. Misato, in a fit of happiness, leant hard against the window and watched intently.

"Alright! Let's go, Asuka!" She said in happiness, a smug but happy smile on her face, directed at the Captain, who glowered at her. Across the sea, the tarp started to shift quickly, as Unit-02 started to move from its position underneath. The Captain growled, grabbing the handheld radio from its position and speaking into it quickly and aggressively.

"Abort the activation! We can't let something like that have its way in the sea!" Misato jumped in and pushed hard against the Captain, intent on getting her own thoughts in to the other end of the line.

"Don't listen to that moron, Asuka! Just launch the Eva! We have a job to do here!"

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" The Captain said in anger, pushing Misato's head down to get her as out of the way as possible. "NERV Berlin in Germany gave us express permission to bring that toy over to you, and until then it is under the strict command of this fleet. You can't just bypass that command with your own!" Misato growled and fought back, taking a hold of the radio at the same time, fighting for control over it.

"Screw your authority! Who gives a damn about your procedures, this is an emergency!" Misato replied, at odds with the Captain over who was in control right now.

"All of you are acting like Children!" Hikari called out, unheard over the commotion of the deck. "Right now, we have the best chance of actually beating this thing!"

"Oh no." The First Officer said, binoculars on his face, looking out at Unit-02, now getting ready to stand to attention nearby. "Unit-02 is still using the B-Type Equipment!" Despite the man's disapproval of the Evangelions and NERV in general, he did understand quite a bit about the beings themselves.

"What!?" Both the Captain and Misato said, rushing back to look out at Unit-02. Concern on everyone's faces.

* * *

Inside Unit-02, Shinji and Asuka sat, ready. Asuka in the main seat, Shinji behind, sitting as best in could in the shape of the plug. Shinji had heard the commotion regarding B-Type equipment, and knew they were in trouble.

"Asuka, if we fall into the ocean, then we're done for." Shinji said, turning towards the girl, who turned to look at him with a gleam in her eye.

"Then we simply won't fall in." Asuka replied, her smirk never disappearing.

"Shinji? Is that you? Are you in there too?" Misato asked over the communications channel, surprise and relief in her voice. As much as Asuka was a good pilot, she had never been in a real combat situation before, while Shinji had, three times, four if counting the Jet Alone.

"Yes, Misato!" Shinji replied, Asuka continuing to smile beside him.

"What!? Two kids in there!" The Captain said in outrage. Misato stopped for a moment, thinking to herself.

"With Shinji's experience, we might just be in luck." Toji said. Hikari smiled beside him, things were finally starting to look up.

"Alright! Let's go Shinji and Asuka!" She said, jumping up in happiness. Misato glanced over at the ecstatic kids, a thought fleeting in her mind.

"This is a chance… If this works well, then Ritsuko will be very happy, and we can move forward…" Misato said quietly to herself, settling on her decision. "Alright, Shinji, Asuka, Launch!"

_– End –_

The ship shook once again as the large stream of water sprayed from Gaghiel's quick and fast movements. Shinji and Asuka watched as it quickly approached them, water splashing everywhere.

"It's coming closer!" Shinji said, indicating out to the water, where the Angel was almost on top of them.

"Let's do this!" Asuka replied, staring hard.

_– Evangelion 2.0 OST – Disc 2, Track 3 – Ambassadrice Rouge –_

With a flourish, the Evangelion Unit leaped from its position on the ship, pulling the tarp away with it, flicking up dust and it flew through the air. The ship was destroyed soon after by Gaghiel's collision, taking out the ship that once held the mighty Evangelion Unit.

Unit-02 quickly landed on another ship in the fleet, causing more destruction to the top of the ship. It stood for a moment, the tarp wrapped around it like a piece of clothing. As it stood to attention, Shinji and Asuka glanced around inside. Taking in the surroundings, eyes out, searching for the Angel's whereabouts.

"Where'd it go!?" Asuka asked, glancing around frantically.

"Over there!" Shinji replied, pointing the Angel out nearby, it's movement continuing to splash up water.

Asuka got ready to move, before a loud beep echoed throughout the plug, they only had one minute to defeat this thing.

"Asuka, we have less than a minute left!" Shinji said, a hard look on his face.

"I'm well aware of that. Misato! Please tell me that the external power supply is not destroyed! If it isn't, get it up on deck!" Asuka said into the communications channel, continuing to scan the ocean for signs of Gaghiel.

"You're all good, Asuka! The power supply is fine!" Misato replied over the channel, where the Captain's faint disbelief could be heard in the background.

"What is the girl going to do now!?" He said in frustration, concern over his fleet taking hold.

"Good for the world, and your fleet!" Kensuke said in happiness. "You should be happy!"

"Good for my fleet!" The Captain replied, staring daggers at the boy. "Have you not been paying attention! That girl is showing no regard for my fleet! So, what is she going to do next!?"

"Right!" Asuka replied, turning to Shinji with a smirk again. "Ever played Hopscotch, Shinji?" She asked innocently, with another gleam in her eye.

"Hopscotch? What are you doing!?" Shinji replied, just as Unit-02 jumped high into the air, causing Shinji's voice to get very high mid-sentence. Unit-02 flew towards the nearest flight deck, causing a quick scurry and shouts from below, just before Unit-02 landed with a crunch, destroying the deck, quickly leaping off again. As the Unit flew, the tarp finally flew away, revealing the Unit's Red body for the world to see. With a leap, a hop and a jump, the Unit skilfully landed on each ship, doing reasonable damage due to the size of the mech.

The screaming from each ship got louder with each jump and landing.

"The Power supply is in place, and ready to be loaded." A voice came over the comm, indicating the setup for Unit-02's power being nearly complete.

"Direct connection to the reactor has been established."

"Take cover! Evacuate the flight deck!" A swarm of people rushing of the deck could be seen below, as Unit-02 approached swiftly.

"Flight deck is ready for Evangelion landing!" The final call came, as the Captain looked out in sorrow. His fleet, devastated and mostly ruined. All due to the actions of an Angel and an Eva.

"All hands, brace for impact!" Came the voice of the First Office, making sure everyone was ready for the significant impact Unit-02 would make on its arrival.

"I can't believe this! This is nuts!" The captain said, visibly frustrated from everything that was happening currently. He was promised a nice, safe trip from Berlin to Tokyo-3. An Angel appearing was not on that order.

"Evangelion Unit-02! Preparing for landing!" Came Asuka's excited voice from inside the Entry Plug, Shinji holding on to the chair hard. With a sudden stop, the Over the Rainbow shook hard from the Eva's landing, causing most people on the bridge to fall over. Misato landed on Kensuke, with Toji landing hard after Hikari fell on him. With the ships center of gravity having shifted, most of the fighter jets on deck quickly shifted and fell into the depths of the ocean. Unit-02 righted itself, causing the ship to also correct its center of gravity.

With a sigh and a groan, Kensuke's tear-stained face could be seen faintly from behind his camera, wimpering at the sight of lots of war-time jets and ships being wasted like they were nothing. "What a waste of perfectly good history!" Kensuke cried in terror as Misato groaned from beside him, rubbing her head slightly.

"The target is rapidly approaching this vessel!" A frantic voice cried out from nearby, causing everyone to look out at the swiftly approaching wave. _Gotcha now!_

"Angel's here! 9 o'clock!" Shinji said, swiftly doing his job in an Eva that wasn't his own.

"Switching to external power." Asuka noted as Unit-02 grabbed the external power supply and swiftly plugged it into the slot on the Eva's back. The countdown beside the two pilots switched from 0:07:00 to 9:99:99 as the Eva completed the switch from battery to external power. "Switch from backup to external power has been completed." Asuka noted from inside the plug, where Shinji sat in thought behind her.

'Power's great and all, but we're going nowhere without…' Shinji suddenly turned to Asuka. "We can stay powered now, Asuka! But we aren't going to be able to fight the Angel without a weapon!" Asuka smirked and flicked a switch on the controls, causing the Unit's shoulder pylons to open up.

"These Progressive Knives ought to do the trick!" She replied as Unit-02 brought both its arms up and pulled out both Progressive Knives from their sockets in the shoulders, brandishing them in front, ready to strike. The blades pulled out quickly, glowing a brilliant green colour.

"You have two!" Shinji said, noting how Unit-01 only had one Progressive Knife. Asuka smirked in satisfaction as Shinji turned to the communications channel. "Misato!"

"Yes, Shinji?"

"Once we get back, can we get another Progressive Knife in Unit-01?" Misato laughed on the other end, completely forgetting about Unit-02 having a second Progressive Knife.

"We'll chat to Ritsuko about it later Shinji! Now, you guys have an Angel to beat!"

"Right!" Both Shinji and Asuka said in unison, watching carefully as Gaghiel swiftly approached, finally rising out of the water for the first time. It looked like a weird mix between a Shark and a Squid, with a bit of Manta Ray mixed in. One thing was for certain, it was huge.

"That thing is massive!" Shinji noted in disbelief, even Ramiel hadn't been that big.

"The bigger they are, the quicker they fall!" Asuka said, a hard look on her face as the tan Angel quickly approached, it's speed increased now that it was riding the waves it was making.

"That's not necessarily what that means!" Shinji replied, staring hard at the Angel. "Its skin looks really hard! And I can't see the core!"

"The Core! Of course!" Asuka replied, staring hard at the Angel. "We've got to find that core quickly, Shinji!"

From the bridge, the crew watched in shock as the Angel quickly approached Unit-02. The Captain in complete disbelief, being the first time he'd seen an Angel up close. "What are those two going to do to it!?"

"It must be noted that we've found hand-to-hand combat to be the best way to deal with an Angel." Misato said, watching the Captain and his First Officer react to the Angel and its movements.

"Noted in what way?" Hikari asked innocently, she was normally able to see the good in most people, but this Captain somehow was able to really piss her off. His attitude was horrible, and his thoughts towards the machines that had been able to keep them safe was baffling. 'So, screw it.' She thought. 'If he won't listen to reason, I'll try to annoy him as much as I can.' She smirked, letting her Non-Class Rep side come out.

"Why, Hikari, I'm glad you asked!" Misato replied, knowing exactly what the younger girl was doing. "First-hand experience from our two, now three pilots of course!"

"Alright, take it down, Shinji and Asuka!" Hikari cried out, staring out at the Red Eva on board the vessel.

Unit-02 stood ready, Progressive Knives out and ready to strike. _What the hell are you? _Gaghiel noted before ducking under the water and diving up, ready to strike the Eva himself. _I don't care though! I'll destroy you before you can do anything to me! Yippee! _With a loud screech, the Angel collapsed into the Over the Rainbow, knocking over Unit-02, and everything on the ship. The sudden pressure of the Angel against Unit-02 caused it to lose track of its Progressives Knives, one falling out of its grip and cutting through a jet on deck. Unit-02 stood, holding onto Gaghiel as much as it could. _Wait! You're not supposed to be holding onto me! Dammit I thought that would work!_

"Looking good, Asuka!" Misato called through the radio, letting the pilots know of their work.

"Is this all a game to you!?" The Captain said, furious. "The ships flight deck is ruined!" As he said this, a loud screeching noise was heard as Unit-02 struggled to hold Gaghiel in place. _Aha! _Suddenly hitting a sweet spot, the lift to the deck collapsed beneath them as Gaghiel grabbed them and quickly ducked underwater, bringing Unit-02 with him. _Aha! See what you can do now!_

_– End –_

"They fell." The Captain said, dread coming across his features, knowing that if Unit-02 was underwater, there was no way they could fight.

"This is bad." Toji bluntly stated, staring out at the spot where Unit-02 once stood proudly. "They can't do much now…"

"Asuka, Shinji! You need to get out of there now, it's impossible to fight underwater using B-Type equipment!" Misato said through the comm. Shinji nodded, knowing this already, when Asuka spoke again.

"Well, you never know until you try, don't you?" She said, completely missing Shinji's look of complete disbelief at her actions. He tried to get her to know until he felt a brief nudge on his shoulder, he turned to find Ramiel floating behind him. Shinji glared at the Angel after explicitly telling her not to come in. Ramiel just indicated, as best she could, to the Eva. Shinji's eyes widened.

"Wait, Asuka!" Misato cried out from her end of the comm, as the external power cord swished back and forth across the flight deck as Gaghiel continued to hold Unit-02 hostage. "You need to come back up!"

"Wait, Misato!" Shinji called out. "It's fine! We can win!"

"But, Shinji! Unit-02 is using B-Type Equipment, it's not going to do anything!"

"But we can! Ramiel!" Misato's eyes widened on the bridge.

"Of course!" Asuka just glanced at Shinji, wondering what the hell was happening.

"Who is Ramiel?" Asuka asked as Unit-02 and Gaghiel sunk deeper into the water, she started to breathe heavily as the weight of the water against the plug took a toll on both her and Shinji.

"No real time to explain!" Shinji replied, as Ramiel floated into view. Asuka shrieked as Ramiel came into view.

"_Heilige Schiesse! _That's an Angel!"

"Yes, it is. But she's going to help us." Shinji replied calmly as Ramiel nodded, a curious sight as it involved Ramiel moving her entire body in a nod motion.

"Yes."

"But it tried to –"

"It won't kill you Asuka." Shinji said, putting a hard on her shoulder. "Just let her help out. She'll be able to help us defeat the Angel out there." Asuka calmed herself down a moment. Before nodding silently and glancing warily at the Angel. Ramiel nodded again, before ducking into the bottom of the plug, causing the girl to shriek again. Suddenly, the plug felt warmer, as Ramiel's presence in the core of Unit-02 could be felt. She calmed down just as Unit-02 hit the ocean floor, now a once proud, sunken city, with Gaghiel close by. Asuka grabbed the controls, with Shinji coming in and resting his hands on top of hers. They nodded at each other, before grabbing onto Gaghiel so they wouldn't lose him.

_What! That was not part of our game! _Gaghiel quickly moved, crashing into as many destroyed and sunken buildings as possible in an attempt to get them off of him. Unit-02 hung on really hard as Gaghiel crashed into another building, debris and grime being picked up in the aftermath of the collision. Despite the constant twisting and turning, Unit-02 held on, the external umbilical cable continuing to roll along as it went.

On deck, the Power Cord whipped back and forth, screeching against the edge of the deck, as Unit-02 moved around underwater. The cord shifted all the fighter jets on the deck, causing all but one to fall into the water below. Kensuke groaned and sighed at the wreckage. "A complete waste!" He said dramatically, his eyes watering under the pressure of the now destroyed jets.

"Calm down, Kensuke." Toji noted. "There's always more jets in the world."

"Not like this!" Kensuke cried out again, causing Toji to awkwardly pat the boy on the back. He shrugged at Hikari, who was trying really hard not to laugh at the situation, knowing that Shinji and Asuka were currently deep underwater, fighting the Angel. Misato was worried, staring hard at the cable as it kept moving, swishing around the deck.

"How much cable is left!?" She called out, turning to the Captain and the First Officer. The Captain just stared at her in annoyance, while the First Officer continued to glance out at the cable.

"About 1200 meters left…" The First Officer said, despair in his voice.

"What are you going to do?" The Captain said, pushing his hat up his face. "It's useless."

"Not entirely." Hikari said, coming up to him. "Place your trust in them. Please."

"Don't worry!" Misato said, coming up to the Captain. "They've got a plan."

Deep down, both Shinji and Asuka were struggling hard with the effects of the water pressure on the plug bearing down on them. Asuka's eyes were firmly shut, pain shooting through her body. Shinji was handling it a little bit better, but the pain was still there, in spades.

"Come on, Ramiel!" Shinji said, waiting for the opportune moment to attack. The rattling continued, as Gaghiel swam deeper and deeper, before long, they would lose their grip and lose the Angel. _Let go already!_

The cable continued to unwind swiftly, getting faster as it went. Misato growled as the cable reached the end of its tether, just about to stop completely. "Brace for impact!" She cried out as the cable finally ran out, stopping Unit-02 completely. Gaghiel got away, laughing to himself the entire time.

"_Verdammt!_ It got away!" Asuka cried out in annoyance, watching as the Angel swiftly moved further away.

"Misato!" Shinji said over the comm link. "The Angel's gotten away!"

On deck, Misato frowned, while Kensuke fiddled with his camera, a disk in his mouth. "If I could just change the disk… There's still more content to be captured!" Kensuke said, before noticing the whirring of the elevator below. He frantically shuffled around, trying to get his camera ready. "That's a… Yak-38 Custom!" He said happily. Misato, Toji and Hikari glanced over, wondering what was happening.

"Hey, Katsuragi!" Came the male voice from inside. Misato smiled happily, leaning against the railing of the destroyed window.

"Kaji!" She said, happy that someone was going out to help the Eva in its time of turmoil.

"I'm sure this is wonderful and all," Kaji said, pushing up the visor on his helmet. "But I have to go make a delivery, so I'll be taking off now. Ciao!" Kaji said, giving the Operations Director a happy smile. Misato stopped abruptly.

'That little…' Misato thought in annoyance.

"Alright, let's get going." Kaji said to the pilot, as the jet lifted off from the flight deck, heading towards Tokyo-3. "I'm sure you'll be able to deal with the rest of this perfectly fine, Major!" Kaji said, before shutting of the radio and settling into the jet. Misato stared after the jet, rage and annoyance starting to appear on her face.

"Kaji, just… left." Hikari said, watching silently, as Kensuke groaned, having missed filming the impeccable machine.

"He ran away, like a coward, when everyone else here is in danger…" Toji noted, as the First Officer brought everyone's attention back to the current situation.

"Major!" Misato turned quickly, taking in the account of the First Officer. "The Angel is approaching Unit-02 once again!"

_– NGE S2 Works – Disc 2, Track 8 – B-10 (Menace and Surprise, Guitarless) –_

"Here he comes again!" Shinji said, indicating to the Angel, appearing in their view once again. Asuka growled, firmly seated against the back of the seat.

"Right! We'll finish it off this time!" She said. Both Shinji and Asuka tried to move the Eva, but it wouldn't budge. Being stuck, floating from the umbilical cable under the water. "Why won't this thing move, dammit!" She cried out in annoyance, pushing hard against the controls in a desperate attempt for Unit-02 to do anything.

"That's because we're using B-Type equipment." Shinji replied. Asuka turned, fear finally appearing in her eyes. The urge to prove herself to Shinji and everyone else gone, instead replaced with the fear that had finally surfaced due to the Angel's attack on the fleet. Gone was the Ace Pilot who wanted to prove herself, now there was a normal teenage girl having been sent into a dangerous situation.

"Well… What are you going to do?" She said fearfully, her eyes widened as much as they could.

"Me!?" Shinji replied, incredulous, as the Angel continued to approach. _You're all stuck now!_

"Well you're the Third Child, aren't you!? Afraid of nothing!" Asuka replied, staring back and forth between the Angel and Shinji. Shinji sighed, grabbing a hold of her shoulders to stop the girl shaking so much.

"Asuka!" She stopped, staring right at the boy. "Ramiel is in the core right now, if we work together, we can defeat the Angel!"

"What do we do? What can we do?" She said quietly, watching the Angel approach them.

"We wait for an opening." Shinji replied. "Ramiel's already in the core, and I have a feeling I know what she can do in there. All we need, is to find the core."

_I'm gonna getcha again! Our first game was fun, let's play it again! _Gaghiel approached quickly, suddenly opening its mouth to them. _I like snacks! Do you like snacks?_

"_Mein gott." _Asuka said as Gaghiel's mouth opened wide. "Sharp teeth…"

"There's the core!" Shinji said, waiting for Ramiel to start. He was right after all, Gaghiel had opened his mouth to gobble them up, but had also inadvertently revealed his core to the pilots. The feeling of the Eva's body getting warm was felt, as Ramiel began charging his particle beam.

_You're mine!_ That suddenly stopped when Unit-02 was gobbled up whole by Gaghiel. Shinji collapsed onto Asuka in the Entry Plug, Ramiel's charge was lost as the Unit-02 moved around frantically inside the Angel's mouth. _Always time for a snack! Now what was I doing again? _Gaghiel just sat there for a moment, turning back and forth. Confused.

"Evangelion Unit-02 has been eaten by the Angel!" Someone on the bridge said, as Misato and the trio watched carefully.

"They can defeat it from inside!" Hikari insisted, glancing around at everyone on the bridge. "Believe in them, like we can believe in them!" The power cord continued to move around on deck, swishing back and forth as Gaghiel swam around with Unit-02 inside its mouth, it's lower body dangling around inside the giant Angel.

"Well this just got much better!" Shinji said in exasperation, as his body leant across Asuka's lap. Both teens were aware of their position, both blushing as their trip inside Gaghiel's mouth continued.

"Shut up!" Asuka replied, moving forwards slightly to get a better view, inadvertently pushing her breasts into Shinji's back. "Can he do that thing again?"

"What thing?" Shinji replied, aware of Asuka's current position. "It's kind've hard to do anything in here!"

"The Angel! In the Eva!" Shinji's eyes widened, remembering Ramiel.

"She's ready to go again! But she can't stay in much longer!"

"Right!" Asuka smiled, as Shinji shifted himself off Asuka's lap and placed his hands over hers again.

"Asuka, Shinji! Can you two hear me?" Came Misato's voice over the Radio, worry laced throughout.

"Yes, Misato." Shinji answered, as Asuka calmed her breathing in the background.

_– End –_

"Whatever you do, don't let go of the Angel!"

"Huh?" Shinji and Asuka asked, confusion dawning on their faces. "Misato, we're fine. Ramiel inside Unit-02 can deal with the Angel." Shinji said. "But maybe it would be good to see if the fleet can help and be prepared for backup, just in case something goes wrong and we need the help."

"Good thinking, Shinji!" Asuka glanced over at Shinji impressed, in a moment of desperation, Shinji had come up with a decent plan, and was using the United Nations Fleet as backup in case the Angel inside her Eva couldn't destroy the Angel. Meanwhile, she had been recovering after hyperventilating.

'I will get stronger, Shinji. Just you wait. You'll be chasing after me the entire time.' Asuka thought, a happy smile coming across her face, both meaning happiness, and challenge.

Misato turned to the Captain, still holding the radio in her hand, she stared him in the eye, intent on him helping.

"What now?" He said in exasperation, annoyed at the constant changing conditions of the battle. The fleet had been reduced to a mere few ships, with only a couple still capable of firepower.

"My pilot has just come up with a brilliant plan, but we are going to need your cooperation." Misato said, a firm, business-like tone to her voice. Operations Director of NERV was currently in play, and overriding all possible retaliations from the Captain and his First Officer. She was in charge now. "We have a way to defeat the Angel, however, if our plan goes wrong, we are going to need backup from the remaining ships in the fleet. Any ship that has aggressive firepower will be necessary to directly attack the Angel. We know where the core is, we just need to destroy it."

The Captain stared at Misato in shock, processing just what the Major was asking of him. "You're telling me that you want a point-blank assault on the target at the ready in case anything goes wrong!? I thought that toy was using B-Type Equipment, just how are you going to defeat that thing!?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that. NERV business only, highly classified." The Captain grumbled, as Misato grinned at them. She turned towards the nearest console, shifting things around and bringing up a highlighted display.

_– Music from Evangelion 1.0 – Track 8 – The Longest Day –_

"What we'll do is get two of the evacuated battleships into position by the umbilical cable, setting a trap for the Angel. The Eva will open the Angel's mouth, and attempt to destroy the Angel on their own first. If they somehow fail, then the evacuated ships will sink into the water, heading straight towards the Angel's opened mouth, once inside, the ships will fire all their turret cannons, then self-destruct, destroying the Angel." As Misato explained the plan, the display she had brought up showcased how the battle would occur, in case something did go wrong with the kids inside.

"So, if those kids fail, then we have to sacrifice two of the ships in United Nations Pacific Fleet! That's absurd!" The Captain said, annoyance and disbelief in his voice.

"Perhaps, but I have faith in the kids, and if it comes down to this, then it's not impossible."

The Captain grumbled, lowering his head slightly. "I understand." He finally said, soberly accepting the fate of some of the ships in the fleet he was so proud of.

Loud sirens started to wail across the fleet as the remnants of some ships gave their evacuation calls and started moving quickly and swiftly away from the current predicament. As this happened, the other frigates, the ones who weren't evacuating, were swiftly picking up any passengers they could from the other ships. On the bridge, the Captain stared out at the proceedings, concerned about all his men. He also had another thought though. "What about the Evangelion?"

"You don't need to worry about them. They'll be fine. I have my faith in them, why can't you?" Misato replied, staring at the Captain. The Captain dropped his head in reply, not answering. Misato then picked up the Radio, radioing to the Pilots inside Unit-02. "Shinji, Asuka! Do you two understand the operation?"

Inside Unit-02's Entry Plug, Shinji lay hard against Asuka's lap. Asuka's chest pressed into Shinji's back, the uncomfortable position a result of the amount of pain they were enjuring from Gaghiel, and this being the position they had the least pain in.

"We'll do the best we can, Misato!" Asuka replied, her hands on top of Shinji's on the controls.

"Good, because we're counting on both of you!"

On the surface, the evacuated ships stayed on the surface of the water, staying in line with the Umbilical Cable, they would only fine and Self-Destruct if necessary. Loudspeaker's relayed the operation to the men on board the other ships. "The Kingston Valve has been opened. Both ships now scuttling towards Point Z."

"Roger!" Misato replied, indicating to the nearby control panel. "Unravel the Umbilical Cable! Shinji, Asuka, start charging!"

_– End –_

_– NGE S2 Works – Disc 2, Track 2 – B-6 (Anxiety) –_

Simultaneously, as Eva Unit-02 was pulled back towards the Surface by the Umbilical Cable, Unit-02 began to glow a brilliant bright red colour, energy forming at various points on its body, ready to feed towards one specific spot.

"Get ready, Ramiel!" Shinji said as the ride was continuously bumpy the entire way up. The Entry Plug flashing Red in annoyance and pain, as the damage to Unit-02 got ever bigger.

_Why can't you just let me eat you!?_

The Umbilical Cord continued its quick retraction, pulling both Evangelion and Angel quicker and quicker towards the surface. As they came closer, they could be seen by the continuing glow of Unit-02's body, and the mental strain on the pilots inside, shared between them.

"The Evangelion has begun to surface!" The tensions were high on the bridge, and inside the Eva, as Shinji and Asuka fought hard to get the Angel's mouth open, a struggle that was all too difficult, especially in the position they were both in.

"Come on, Asuka! We need to pry its mouth open sooner or later! Or else we'll be fish food!" Shinji called out, twisted around as best as he could to look at Asuka. She nodded, and working together, the two pushed with all their might. Misato stared from the bridge, wanting confirmation on everything that was happening around her.

"What's the status on the Angel's mouth?" She called out, in an attempt to get some kind of confirmation on what was happening below the surface.

"They're struggling down there! It's still not open!"

"Come on, Shinji, Asuka!"

_I feel funny. _Gaghiel was continually pulled by the Eva's Umbilical Cord, continually rising towards the surface. Nearby, the battleships were nearby, settled on top of the ocean, not moving anywhere, but ready to fire if necessary.

"Battleships are in position."

"Eva Unit-02 is continuing towards the surface! T-minus 50 to contact!" Unit-02 tried to pry open the mouth, but it wasn't getting very far, having situated its feet on the edge of Gaghiel's mouth, in an attempt to get some footing.

"We need to work harder, Asuka!" Shinji said, from inside the plug. "The mouth isn't budging!"

"It's because we're stuck inside the teeth isn't it!" Asuka replied. "We're running out of time! Pull the levers back, change modes!" Shinji nodded, staring back at Gaghiel. Asuka pulled her hands off the controls for a brief moment, allowing Shinji to shift the levers position, releasing them from their main hold. Asuka nodded in satisfaction when this was completed, resting her hands back on top of his.

They felt a loud rumble from the underbelly of a nearby ship, as they sailed near it. The conversation on the radio could be heard by the two pilots, but their focus was on the Angel in front of them.

"Target has passed by the Tempest! Speed of ascent increasing!"

"Damn! We're running out of time!" Misato said, fumbling with the radio. "Get that beam charged, kids! You're almost at the surface!"

"Roger!" Came the replies from Shinji and Asuka, who had returned to their compromising position in the Entry Plug.

"Don't get any strange ideas, Third." Asuka threatened, having returned to a position pressing hard against his back.

"Now is definitely not the time for those thoughts, Asuka!" Shinji replied. "Now let's get this mouth open!"

"We need to concentrate! Or we're going nowhere!"

"Works for me!" As they had this conversation, Unit-02 continued to push hard against the bridges of the Angel's mouth. The colour of Unit-02, now an insanely bright red, as the five points on the Eva, the head, the two feet and the two hands, glowed with bright yellow energy.

"T-Minus 20 to contact!" Came the urgent voice on the communicator as Unit-02 continued to push the mouth open, as this happened, Unit-02 started to feed the particle energy towards one central point, it's mouth. Ready for the fatal attack.

Shinji and Asuka continued to push hard, the vibrations from the significant pressure being applied onto and by them, from both the Angel inside the Eva, and the Angel outside holding them captive. With a final grunt, and a warning of 15 to contact, the levers buckled more and more, getting ever closer to their final destination.

On the water, the ships were now getting ever closer to their position, having prepared their turrets for fire, remote detonation at the ready.

'Open! Open! Open! Open!' Came the simultaneous thoughts of both Shinji and Asuka as they pulled all their strength together. In a moment, Unit-02's head finally lifted, its eyes glowing a brilliant yellow, as the Eva's mouth continued to glow ever brighter, just about ready for an attack. All throughout this, Gaghiel's mouth continued to be pushed ever open. With a final grunt, the mouth was pushed as far open as possible, and all the energy being built up came flowing together all at once. With a gigantic flash, the particle beam from Unit-02 pierced straight through Gaghiel's core, and right out the other side, splitting the Angel in half down the middle. With a final groan, Gaghiel exploded into the ocean, blue becoming red as the Sixth Angel was defeated.

_– End –_

Being flung away, Unit-02 was finally able to get a footing in the air as it breached the surface of the water, a gigantic wave coming up behind from the explosion. With a flip, the Evangelion landed gracefully on the deck of the Over the Rainbow.

With a final sigh, Shinji and Asuka calmed down, settling down after the tough battle that had just occurred. Unit-02 mimicked them, crashing down onto the deck in a slump. Happy that the battle was finally over.

"We did it…" Asuka said, breathing heavily as she felt her body drifting into a nice sleep.

"Yeah, we did…" Shinji replied, staring out at the ground of the flight deck, Unit-02's slumped form a representation of the current physical feeling of both of its pilots. "We should probably get out of here…" He said, moving slightly so he could move about the Entry Plug. "Oh yeah, I need to talk to you about…" As Shinji turned to look at Asuka, her peaceful sleeping form became known to him. He smiled slightly as she rested, the exhaustion from his own first battle coming back to him. 'She looks so… peaceful.' He thought. 'It's fair though, I felt pretty exhausted after my first battle too.' Shinji gently moved the girl out of the pilots seat so he could sit in the seat himself. Asuka was completely out, Shinji glanced at the display ahead of him, bringing up the current Sync Ratio. What was once sitting gleefully in the 120's had dropped back to the 60's. 'So, Asuka's not synced because she's asleep.' He thought as he tried to move Unit-02 into a sitting position.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Misato and his friends, along with the Captain and his First Officer, rush onto the Flight Deck, he smiled as he heard the chatter from below, the speakers inside the Unit having been turned on.

"Look at my flight deck!" The Captain said, turning quickly and swiftly to Misato, who stared back at him in annoyance. "Those kids and that toy did this to the pride of the United Nations!"

"We've already made this clear, sir." Misato replied, with a forced smile. "Under any intense threat, NERV's authority overrides yours." She said with a fake cheery voice. "Besides," She continued, completely dropping her Operations Director Persona and returning to a more relaxed persona. "I'm sure the United Nations will compensate you for your unexpected trouble."

"Trouble!?" The Captain replied, staring out at sea. "My fleet is ruined!" He said in exasperation. "Half of my ships are gone, destroyed! By an out of this world menace that we, as the United Nations Pacific Fleet, had the right to know about!"

"Unfortunately, we don't know when, or where in this case, that the Angels will strike." Misato replied calmly, as the older man was starting to completely lose it. "If we knew about this attack, we would have let you know about it. Unfortunately, we didn't, so even myself, and my two pilots, didn't know that this would occur." The Captain grumbled as he moved away, his shadow reflecting across the flight deck from the quickly setting sun, drifting below the water, reflecting a nice orange glow across the ship.

"That man is more trouble than it's worth." Hikari noted, her feelings for the man becoming quite obvious over the fiasco of the past few hours.

"He's just proud." Misato said. "He's never had to relinquish command before, that's why he's so annoyed. Besides, now we have to deal with the fun part."

"What's that?" Toji asked, glancing around the almost ruined flight deck.

"The clean-up." Misato groaned, tilting her head back to stare at the darkening sky. "I really wish I had a beer right now." She turned to step back inside, as the weight of Unit-02 started to shift. She turned back around, staring up at the beast. "Shinji? Asuka?"

"Just me, Misato." Shinji replied, his voice coming over the Unit's loudspeakers. "Asuka's just gone to sleep from exhaustion, so I'm the only one awake."

"Yes."

"Keep it down, will you!" Shinji turned to Ramiel, who simply shook herself apologetically. Misato laughed from her spot on the deck, they were still in the open, although there were few people left because of the state of the day, most of the men were starting to head towards their quarters for the night. Only the few high ranked Officers would stay up, interchanging roles as the night went on.

"Alright Shinji! You can power down and eject yourself now!" Misato replied.

_– NGE S2 Works – Disc 1, Track 29 – B-4 (Fly Me to the Moon, Strings Only) –_

'I can just eject and get out of this suit… Although…' Shinji turned to Asuka's still sleeping form, and came to a decision. "Actually Misato, I think I'm going to stay in here. Asuka's still asleep and I don't want her to freak out at anything." He said, knowing that the Angel they just fought would be appearing to Asuka before too long.

"Aw!" Misato replied. "You're adorable Shinji!"

"Misato…" Shinji replied, embarrassed at Misato's teasing.

"Alright, Shinji. That's your choice." She replied, turning towards the nearest elevator and heading towards it. "Don't do anything I wouldn't!" Misato said cheekily, leaving the deck.

"It's great that you're doing this Shinji." Hikari said, glancing up at the giant robot. "Look after each other." She said, heading towards the elevator as well. Kensuke continued to rush around, his camera trying to catch as much as possible of the aftermath of the Angel Battle, to him, it was just as interesting as the battle itself. Toji however, was different, he didn't acknowledge Shinji. To him, he'd already made his mind up about the Second Child.

'What a bitch.' He thought as he stepped onto the elevator, exiting the flight deck.

Shinji glanced back at Asuka, peacefully sleeping at the back of the Entry Plug as the warm glow from the sunset reflected in her red hair. He smiled as he turned back to the main view, settling into the seat. As the sun sunk below the calm waves of the sea, Shinji's eyes drifted closed, lulling himself into a deep sleep.

_– End –_

* * *

When Asuka woke up she felt sore, her muscles stiff after sleeping on the side of the Entry Plug. She shifted herself into a seated position, her red hair falling erratically around her face. She glanced out the main view, seeing completely dark skies over the sea, the light of the moon reflecting off the calm water. She smiled at the sight, it felt peaceful, something that wasn't very common in her life, not since her mother died.

'Wait.' She thought glancing around her. 'Wasn't I in the pilot's seat!' Asuka growled, she moved forward, intent on giving whoever had moved her a piece of her mind. Instead, she found Shinji sitting idly, eyes shut, his breathing soft in sleep. She stopped, smiling as she took in the sight of the boy in front of her. 'Peaceful.' Was the thought that popped into her head from the view, the boy, like herself, having eventually fallen asleep from exhaustion.

"Nope!" She froze, turning quickly to find Ramiel floating quietly beside her. But that wasn't the noise, she knew from the very short time she knew the Angel that she barely talked, and only said three things. Nope was specifically not one of them. No, what caused her to gasp in shock was the sudden appearance of the Angel she had just defeated with Shinji, now floating in the air beside her. "Hi! I'm Gaghiel! Looks like we'll be spending a lot of time together! Oh yeah, he decided to stay inside with you because you were sleeping before!" The Angel said, very, very quickly, zipping around in intense excitement the entire time, moving from one subject, to a completely different one seamlessly, as if Shinji staying with her was along the same lines as introducing himself.

"Great…" Asuka replied, glancing warily at the Angel as he continued to zip around. "You aren't going to try and kill me?" She asked, not completely sure about what the Angel would do. Sure, Ramiel hadn't killed her, but she'd chalked that down to being around Shinji for so long.

"Nope! Why would I do that! You had the honour of killing me, and as such, I'm going to stick around with you for a while! Won't that be fun!" Asuka sighed in annoyance at Gaghiel's reply. She just knew that the Angel was going to be really annoying.

'_Mein gott, when will this end?_' She thought as Gaghiel moved towards the Pilot's Seat, indicating to various switches with his fins.

"What's that do? Actually, what's that do? No, how about this one?" Gaghiel asked, pointing to as many things as possible in such a short time span.

'It's going to be a long night.' Asuka thought as Gaghiel floated over to where Shinji was resting peacefully, pointing down at him.

"Hey, Asuka! Why is he doing this? And why is that thing growing?" He asked innocently, as Asuka blushed hard and tried to stammer out a reply. She knew what it was, she'd learnt it in her schooling back in Germany. 'A very long night.' Asuka thought as she tried to explain what was happening to Shinji to the oblivious Angel.

After almost an hour of constant questions from Gaghiel, Ramiel finally stepped in and pulled Gaghiel away to sleep, allowing the girl some peace and quiet. She turned back to Shinji and smiled, deciding to lean against the chair beside him, the cool night sky slowly brought her back to sleep, letting herself drift off beside her fellow pilot.

* * *

**August 31st, 2015**

Shinji slowly opened his eyes as the morning sun glowed across the horizon, he smiled as he took in the glow of the sun bouncing off the calm waters. Unlike the day before, land could now be seen, in fact, they were very much about to dock at New Yokosuka. Shinji smiled as he took in the land again. 'Despite how nice it is, the sea does get very boring.' Shinji thought, as he glanced to his left… and froze. Asuka was lying there, resting peacefully beside him. 'Does she even know where she is?' He thought, wondering if the girl had moved in her sleep. 'Oh well, better wake her up.' He reached over and shook her plugsuit clad shoulder lightly, getting progressively more intense to give the girl the chance to wake up peacefully.

He froze again as her eyes snapped open, glaring at whoever dared to touch her. She softened however when she noticed it was Shinji waking her up. She smiled lightly at the boy, before moving into a sitting position and stretching. "Morning." She said sleepily, the final nodes of sleep still in her mind.

"Morning." Shinji replied as he stared at the girl. 'Shinji, stop staring at her!' He shouted at himself in his mind, as he shook off the gaze. Blushing as he did so. Asuka smirked, she had caught him. "Hey, did you know you moved beside me during the night?" Shinji asked, causing Asuka's eyes to bulge.

"Nope! Must've moved in my sleep!" She replied quickly, this time blushing herself. He did not need to know about waking up in the middle of the night and moving there herself.

"Okay then." Shinji replied, unsure of the situation. He stared at the controls, indicating to them. "Better get out of here, we've been in here for a while."

"Yep." Asuka replied in happiness, settling into her Pilot's seat once again. "This feels much better." She noted, smirking at Shinji, who simply rolled his eyes in response. She started the Entry Plug extraction, the Plug shifting out, the door out opening up behind her. "Time to exit and show everyone my win against the Angel! I am the better pilot after all!" She said, exiting quickly.

'Of course.' Shinji thought, as she exited the plug. 'She's still got her pride, she won't let anyone else know that I was here with her. Wait… I haven't told her about the Angels yet!' He frowned as he started to move towards the exit, before glancing down at himself. He was still wearing Asuka's spare plugsuit. 'Oh crap…' He thought as he imagined his friends' reactions. 'I'm never going to hear the end of this.' With a sigh, he stepped out of Unit-02's Entry Plug. Ready to face the music.

* * *

The sun shone brightly as the birds flew past, casting shadows along the ground at New Yokosuka. Swiftly, the United Nations Pacific Fleet had finally arrived at their destination. Misato exited the ship first, meeting Ritsuko who sat nearby, in a jeep, a folder in her hands, staring intensely at the ship. She nodded in greeting, as the rest of the group had barely moved. The situation had been serious, and had spent a day before they got moving again. Asuka, in exhaustion had fallen asleep, so Shinji had stayed behind with her in Unit-02. The Over the Rainbow and the remaining fleet also had to double check everything to make sure they were safe, that nothing had destroyed anything of importance on the ships, before they could start moving again. So, a day later, they'd finally arrived.

"Well, would you look at that." Ritsuko said, indicating to the substantial damage many of the ships had received over the course of the past day. "You guys certainly went all out."

Misato frowned as she sat beside her friend, relaxing back against the seat, her head staring up at the sky. "Why didn't we anticipate this? An Underwater Angel, should've packed the C-Type Equipment, maybe then we would have stood a better chance."

"What's this?" Ritsuko asked, turning her head towards Misato. "Apologising? For nearly destroying an entire fleet?"

"Cut it out, Rits." Misato replied, before indicating to her folder. "Hey, at least you were able to get that data you wanted on your dual-entry system."

"That is true." Ritsuko said, flipping it open and looking at it for the first time. "Misato… You're not wrong. This data really is amazing. This will help immensely." Misato nodded, glancing over at the harbour, where Unit-02 was currently being delivered and deposited into NERV's possession, Unit-02 had seen better days, it's torso had massive bite marks in it, and its eyes were still glowing after yesterday's ordeal, not having dissolved yet. Toji, Hikari and Kensuke were nearby, Kensuke still filming the proceedings, somehow having not lost his camera in the scuffle of the previous day. Asuka then came down the elevator, glancing left and right, plugsuit still on in the clean-up of the early morning. Toji glanced at the girl over his shoulder, annoyance on his face.

"Oh god…" Came Hikari's timid voice. "What…?" Shinji had just started to come down the elevator, covering himself with his arms as much as possible, he was still wearing Asuka's plugsuit, having stayed inside of the Red Evangelion after the battle finished, keeping an eye on the sleeping Asuka.

"They match!" Toji cried out in indignation, as Shinji tried to cover himself as much as possible. Kensuke smirked as he whipped around and pointed his camera at Shinji, who blushed in embarrassment.

"Haha! Nice figure, Shinji!" Kensuke called out teasingly, keeping his camera trained on Shinji as he exited the elevator and quickly walked away.

Misato laughed at her ward's misfortune, relaxing once again, happy that everything had been taken care of.

"My, my, look at this!" Ritsuko said, indicating to a small portion of her notes. "Both Shinji and Asuka broke their synchronisation records!"

"Yep, they managed to hold at 125 together." Misato replied, yawning.

"No, Misato, I mean they hit this!" Ritsuko replied, showing her the number on her page.

"Oh, 200? Yeah, they hit it for about seven seconds. Probably a final act of strength pushed them both over the barrier." Misato then noted the other numbers sitting below. Individual values. "Oh! That'll be very interesting!" Misato said, laughing at the irony of Asuka's constant mantra. She'd wait until the next sync test for the reveal.

"Wait a minute!" Asuka called out, rushing over to the Doctor and Operations Director. The jeep quickly stopped, screeching to a halt. "Hey, Misato? Where's Mr. Kaji?" She said with a wide smile on her face.

"He took off ahead! Knowing that idiot he's already back at headquarters now!" Misato replied, scowling at the sky. The Jeep she was sitting in started to move, as the group went their separate ways. "I'll see you back at home, Shinji!" Misato called out as she moved towards NERV HQ. "Make sure to shower because you stink, and get Asuka's Plugsuit back to her!" She teased as she rounded the corner with Ritsuko, ducking out of sight. Asuka grinned at the boy, a laugh ready on her lips, having been held in the entire time since he first appeared wearing her plugsuit. Shinji scowled at her and strode past her quickly, intent on getting out of there as quickly as possible. She threw his clothes at him, which he quickly ducked out of sight to get into. He didn't bother removing the plugsuit yet, that would be too embarrassing.

"You know," Sachiel said, ducking out of the shirt pocket. "That plugsuit does look good on you!"

"I agree." Shamshel said, deciding to tease Shinji for once.

"Yes."

"Shut it, all of you!"

* * *

Gendo Ikari's office was, as always, dark. Kaji stood nearby, staring out the window towards the wonder of the Geofront.

"My, my, I have to say Ikari, that was a very eventful trip." He said, turning slightly. "Bethany Base than back to the ship. Very delightful, beautiful sights I must say." Kaji then placed the case down on Gendo's desk, indicating to it. "Both Eva Unit-05 and the Nineteenth Angel were destroyed without a hitch. The cause, officially labelled as an accident. Because of this, the Marduk Project at Bethany Base has been set back, possibly completely suspended. So, everything is going according to your plans. As for SEELE…"

"Don't worry about that. We've already seen it." Gendo replied. "The info on the construction of Evangelion Mark. 06 was very useful." Kaji nodded, speaking again.

"Glad to hear it. Now then, as for the Sixth Angel attacking the fleet carrying Unit-02. Would it have been after this?" Gendo stared coolly at Kaji, no emotion coming through on his face. "I wonder." Kaji idly noted, flipping the case open, revealing the contents to the room. "The metaphysical twining between God and the soul. Frozen inside Bakellite, but still alive. Truly amazing." Kaji glanced up at Gendo. "This is the key to the Human Instrumentality Project, isn't it?

"Correct." Gendo replied, staring at the small, key-like object, looking like a skeleton at one end, sitting in stasis in the case. "This will open the door to Human Instrumentality. The Lost Key of Nebuchadnezzar." He said, glancing up at Kaji, a smirk appearing on his face.

"Well if that's all, then I will take my leave." Kaji replied, giving the Commander a small salute. "I have places and people I need to see." With a final smile, the suave man left with a swoosh of the door. Fuyutsuki turned slightly, intent on speaking with Gendo. The man had once again hidden in the shadows, as that was the best place to be.

"Ryoji Kaji. Chief Inspector." Fuyutsuki tasted the words as he spoke them. "Are you sure we can trust him?" Gendo smirked.

"If we can't, he can be easily… indisposed." Fuyutsuki turned away again, staring back out at the Geofront.

"What about Unit-03? It is being sent here after all."

"The United States have a reputation to upkeep, they want their Evangelion to be the best one, completely disregarding that they've only had Unit-03 in construction for a few short months, both Unit-01 and Unit-02 would logically be much better suited for combat. But it is on its way anyway, and the Fourth Child will be chosen once it arrives." Fuyutsuki turned back, addressing Gendo directly.

"What does this mean for the Scenario?"

"As of this moment, one of the Angels in the Dead Sea Scrolls no longer has a vessel. But as we have seen, the Scenario is no longer proceeding as we have thought."

"Is this about the other Angels, Ikari? Like the Nineteenth found at Bethany Base?"

"Indeed. Despite these changes, we will still proceed according to plan." He glanced up and smirked. "But it will take longer than we originally planned. Turns out Humanity has more time than we initially thought…"

* * *

Hikari stood silently, relaxing against the wall of the local NERV Living Quarters. She relaxed herself, intent on not being a stuttering and blubbering mess when she formally introduced herself to the Second Child. Ever since they had a brief moment of eye contact on the Over the Rainbow after Toji's rather embarrassing moment, she'd been intent on talking to the girl and getting to know her. She couldn't tell if it was the Class Rep part of her speaking, or the Hikari part speaking. Asuka's pride and wanting to show off her skills to Shinji (Which she found cute as well), and Gaghiel's attack on the fleet had halted those plans however.

Now though, there was no Angel that could stop her. 'At least, I hope not…' She thought, praying to whatever God that could hear her that no Angel's attack right at this very moment. When she was satisfied, holding the basket of food she had created in her hand, she raised her arm, and knocked on the door.

"I'll be there in a second!" Came the voice from inside, the sounds of hurried scurrying coming through the rather thick walls. "Gaghiel! Don't touch those!" A sudden shout caused the waiting girl to smile, remembering her first experience with a Shoulder Angel. They were definitely weird, and unusual, but she'd gotten used to them now. The sound of the door opening shocked her out of her thoughts, her gaze settling on Asuka standing in the doorway. She had an eyebrow raised, glancing at the girl from head to toe. Hikari blushed under the gaze. Asuka smirked, before speaking. "You were the one who gave that idiot a telling off on the ship, weren't you?"

"Y-Yes!" Hikari replied, regaining her composure quickly. "Yes, that was me." Her voice slipped back into its Class Rep Mode, as Toji always loved to call it. "He's not usually like that, I swear!" Asuka laughed, before standing aside and letting the girl in. "I never got to actually introduce myself." She said, Asuka smiling slightly.

"Yeah, I think the Angel kind've took up all our priority once he attacked." Asuka said, sighing slightly. "I wish I could've fought it by myself, I would've defeated it much faster than if spineless Shinji was there!" She laughed, glancing over at Hikari, who had a small smirk on her face.

"I think you were trying to show off to Shinji! Coming over and demanding he come with you!" Asuka smiled slightly at that, but kept her pride in place.

"I only did that so he could have a front row seat as I showcased my superior Piloting ability!" Both girls laughed at her comment, smiling at each other afterwards.

"I'm Hikari." She finally said, finally introducing herself. "I have a feeling we're going to need someone of your talents to keep those three boys in check!"

"The Three Stooges!" Asuka replied, laughing at her joke. "It looked like you could handle it just fine." She said, remembering back to the event on the Over the Rainbow.

"Yeah, but now we out number then four to three!" Hikari replied, a large smile on her face. Asuka smirked at that.

"That does sound interesting." She said, turning towards Hikari. "Well, you probably already know, but I'm Asuka! The best Eva Pilot around!" Hikari laughed as she set the basket down, opening it up.

"Well, it looks like you have a new friend, Asuka!" Hikari said, pulling out the Bento's she had made earlier, soon after coming off the ship.

"Friend." Asuka said to herself, taking the offered Bento and raising it in a cheers motion. 'That does sound nice.'

* * *

"It's been done!" Shinji glanced over at Mari as they trudged through the streets of Tokyo-3.

"What's been done?"

"My sync test, mainly to see what Eva I'd be a best fit for!" Mari replied, giving the boy a smile. "Before long I'll be able to go out there with you!"

"That is a question, what happened to Unit-05?"

"It exploded!"

"That's it?"

"Yep!"

"Okay then."

"Don't worry about it, Puppy! I defeated Skeletal, and now he's here with me! I don't know what he'd be useful for though…" Shinji grinned at her.

"Turns out they can actually go into the Eva's and give them new abilities."

"Really!?" Mari replied, excited as they rounded a corner, coming to a small arcade hidden in a small corner of Tokyo-3. "So, what would you do, Skeletal?" The Skeleton Angel shrugged.

"I-I d-don't k-know?" He replied, timidly, wondering just what it was that the two pilots were talking about.

"Oh! What about that one, Asuka!? Actually, that one's really good!? Actually…"

"_Mein gott! _Make up your mind or I will make it for you."

"Who's that?" Mari asked glancing around the corner. There stood Asuka, standing in front of a machine called UFO Catcher. Floating beside her was the Angel that had been defeated out at sea the day before. Asuka had just obtained her first Shoulder Angel.

"Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine!" Gaghiel cried out, drawing it out for as long as possible. "That one!" He said, pointing a fin at a bear doll sitting inside.

"Finally." Asuka stated as she started playing the machine. The claw inside lowered, grabbing the bear by the ear, she smirked as the bear started to get lifted slowly, before falling off completely. Asuka growled in annoyance, bringing her foot around to kick the machine in anger. "What the hell is wrong with this damn machine!?" She cried out. Out of the corner of her eye she caught two people staring at her, she had worn her sundress again after all. She twirled around, raising her eyebrow slightly. "Alright! Give me 100…" She suddenly stopped, as Shinji just waved at her. "Yen…" She finished lamely, staring at the boy, before scowling. "So, who's this? Your girlfriend or something?"

"What!? No, this is Mari, another pilot." Shinji replied staring at the ground.

"Another one! They didn't tell me that!"

"I think we've gotten to the point where they don't tell us anything! Hi, Princess! Mari Illustrious Makinami, at your service!" Mari said, stepping forward quickly, causing the Second Child to take a couple steps back.

"Yeah, Hi…" Asuka replied lamely, a bit confused at the girl's antics. She continued to step back. Mari noticed Gaghiel floating nearby, his giant maw open in awe.

"You must be the Angel beat by both the Puppy and his Princess here?" Mari asked, completely ignoring the blushing and stammering refusals from both the Second and Third Child behind her at her choice of words. She smirked in joy and amusement.

"Yes!" Gaghiel replied, rushing forward. "I'm Gaghiel! I'm going to be the greatest, and help Asuka as much as I can!"

"_Wunderbar._" Asuka replied sarcastically, as Gaghiel's frantic zipping around in an attempt to introduce himself to both Shinji and Mari caused her to tumble backwards, colliding into something behind her. A growl brought everyone's attention away from Gaghiel, who zipped out of sight quickly.

_– NGE S2 Works – Disc 2, Track 10 – B-13 (Oppression and Impatiance) –_

"You absolute bitch!" The man said, turning around in anger and humiliation. "I was on the last level! You caused me to get a game over!" Asuka frowned and rolled her eyes, but decided to play the good girl card.

"I'm sorry, sir! I'm sure I can make it up to you!" She replied with a faux grin on her face. The man grinned menacingly, stalking towards the young girl.

"I'm sure you can." The man replied, licking his lips. "Come on, boys! Let's show this lady just what we can do!"

"Hey, Asuka! I think that man doesn't like you!" Gaghiel commented.

"I get that!" Asuka replied, as she stared hard at the man.

"You think you can take us on!" The man said, inching ever closer. "Come on little lady, there's 5 of us, to the one of you!" The man laughed, cracking his knuckles. Asuka smirked, as the man approached quickly, bringing his fist up the punch the girl in the face. She ducked, quickly swinging her foot around in an arc to collide with the man's stomach. He faltered slightly, before he attacked again, using his fingers to indicate his friends to come closer. Asuka faltered as she started to get surrounded, she kicked at any of the men who approached, all of whom simply laughed and continued to approach the girl. Asuka frowned as she was surrounded. "Whatcha gonna do now, girly?" The man asked, indicating to all his friends. "You're completely surrounded, and all alone. What are you going to do now!?" The man started laughing, revelling in his victory. "Now, I think I require some payment don't you think." Asuka growled as he stepped forward, hand outstretched.

"_Scheisse essen, Arschloch!_" Asuka replied, jumping up and outstretching herself, punching one man and kicking another at the same time. They went down, but quickly got back up. Asuka growled as they all approached again. She braced herself for the worst, when the sound of one of the men going down could be heard, she opened one eye, to see Shinji standing above the man, glaring down at him.

"You forgot one part of your assessment." He punched the man in the face, knocking him out. "She's not alone." Asuka grinned, as Shinji came to stand beside her. One of the men laughed, staring at the boy in front of him.

Mari stared at what was happening from outside, a sad smile sitting on her face. 'Well, Puppy, you did the right thing. You and the Princess are back together again.' She thought with a smile as one of the other men pointed straight at Shinji.

"Seriously, you think you can help this girl out!" Shinji smiled, staring the man down, starting to look a lot like his own father.

"You'll find I'm full of surprises." Asuka smirked triumphantly, things were looking up.

"Ready, Third?" She asked, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

"As I'll ever be." Shinji replied, staring at the man.

"Get them!" The man said, pointing at them, rushing them with the last three men available. Shinji smirked, as the man who was laughing at him rushed him with his arm outstrechted. He grabbed hold and twisted, bringing the man to the ground, he placed a well-aimed kick at the back of his head to knock him out. Another man came up behind him, grabbing onto his back. Shinji gave the man a glare, spinning around in an attempt to make the man dizzy.

Meanwhile, Asuka took on another two men. As the first guy approached, he punched, aiming straight for her head, she ducked, quickly giving the man a sweep kick, sending him to the ground, she then knocked the wind out of him with a kick, pressing her foot into his ribcage, as another man came up near her. She whipped around quickly, kicked the other man away, sending him sprawling backwards into an arcade cabinet. She smirked as she caught Shinji's eye. One guy was down, the other was on his back. She slowly crept up behind him, and as Shinji spun the man around again she placed a well-aimed kick into the man's nether regions, sending him sprawling off Shinji's back. She stepped back, as the man struggled to get up.

"Want to do the honours?" Asuka asked Shinji. Shinji stepped forward, and simply punched the man's face. His nose started bleeding heavily as he rushed away from the scene, his leader's idea dead in the water. As he left, Shinji turned to the other men.

_– End –_

"What about those guys?" Shinji asked, returning to his more usual meek self. Asuka shrugged.

"Who cares! NERV will probably come get them or something. I'm more interested in where you learned to fight like that?" Asuka asked, pointing at him. Shinji blushed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I don't like it, but I kind've had to learn to myself because I was bullied a lot before coming here to Tokyo-3." Asuka smiled slightly, before turning away.

"You were right. You are full of surprises." Shinji just smiled, as Asuka began walking away.

"Wait! Asuka! Where are you going!?" Asuka turned, surprised.

"NERV, of course. That is my current home right now. Although I wish that would change soon, it's so drab and boring, and so small! I wish I could live with Kaji!"

"And there's Kaji again…" Shinji noted, walking into step beside her. "Coming, Mari?"

"Yes! Hold on a moment, I'll catch up with you!" Mari replied, Shinji shrugged and continued to walk with Asuka. Mari ducked outside, staring up at the sky. 'Well, are you two proud?' She thought staring out at the clouds drifting slowly. 'They are wonderful, both of them. Don't worry, it won't be long until they figure things out. They'll always love you, know that.' With a final sad smile, she turned and dashed back towards Shinji and Asuka, heading towards NERV HQ.

* * *

The trip to NERV HQ was uneventful, a usual case of the Pilots wandering throughout the city, and Section 2, the guard assigned to protect the Pilots, following them in their usual discreet manor. Not much happened until the small group arrived at NERV, where they were found by Misato, busy and hard at work after the fiasco out at sea.

"Ah, there you guys are!" She said, stepping into view as the trio entered the giant pyramid. "I was just about to get Section 2 out to get you. Mari, you're needed by Ritsuko, she wants to make sure that all fittings are final for your new plugsuit, and she has a prototype ready for you to try."

"Yes!" Mari replied, giving a small fist bump. "Finally, I can get my Plugsuit! I really hope they got my measurements right!" Misato gave the girl a wide smile, before indicating to Asuka.

"I see you've most likely already met, but I'll make it brief. Mari, this is Asuka Langley Soryu, the Second Child and designated pilot of Evangelion Unit-02. Asuka, this is Mari Illustrious Makinami, the Proto Child and will be the designated pilot of an Eva, we just need to get that sorted out…" Asuka raised an eyebrow at Misato.

"You called her the Proto Child? Why?" She asked curiously, wondering how she was the Second, Shinji the Third, but Mari the Proto? It didn't make any sense.

"Simple." Misato replied. "Mari is actually the Prototype Child, picked before any of the rest of you. I don't know particularly why, but that's what I've been told. We just refer to her as the Proto Child officially."

"Right." Asuka replied, glancing around. "Do you know where Kaji is?" She asked, standing on her tiptoes.

"No, I don't! And I don't want to hear about that jerk again!" Misato angrily replied, her face contorting into a weird mixture of various feelings. Shinji glanced at his guardian in concern, but Asuka just shrugged it off. "Anyway, Shinji, Asuka, you two need to come with me, Ritsuko wants to talk to you for some reason, possibly something to do with her dual-entry system concept."

"Uh, Misato? What do you mean dual-entry concept?" Shinji asked, curiosity etched onto his face.

"Ritsuko will explain it better, but after what happened against the Sixth Angel, she's decided to move forward with an idea of using two pilots to sync with an Eva. And she needs to discuss this with you two. Considering your performance against the Sixth Angel, she'll be wanting to conduct tests with you two."

"Both of us?" Asuka asked, glancing over at Shinji.

"Yes, Asuka. Both of you. That's what Ritsuko requested." Misato replied, walking into the depths of NERV HQ. Shinji and Asuka following silently behind, wondering just what would be on the cards for Ritsuko's Dual-Entry Idea.

Their walk wasn't long, as Misato had figured out just how all the various hallways and travelators connected to each other at NERV HQ, so the trio were at Ritsuko's lab deep within the pyramid in only a few minutes. The woman opened the door with a swoosh, stepping aside to let the pilots into the room.

_– NGE S2 Works – Disc 4, Track 10 – C-55 (Ritsuko, Type A) –_

"Thank you, Misato." Ritsuko said, as Misato entered the room herself.

"So, what's all this about Ritsuko?" Misato asked, not really understanding the concept herself. Ritsuko smiled.

"I'm glad you asked, Major." Ritsuko replied, plugging her laptop into an external screen to show some more concepts to Misato and the two pilots. "After your exceptional performance against the Sixth Angel, the data we received afterwards allowed me to proceed with a project that I've wanted to get underway for quite some time now, ever since both Rei and Asuka initially synced with their Eva's. I call it the Dual-Entry system."

"What will it do?" Shinji asked, wondering just what that meant.

"I'm glad you asked, Shinji. In your recent battle with Asuka, you managed to obtain a combined Sync Ratio of 125%." Shinji and Asuka stared at the Doctor with wide eyes. "As you both know, hitting an 100% Sync Ratio is very difficult for even a single pilot. With two pilots Synced at the same time, however, we are able to exceed that Ratio at a much higher rate. With this knowledge, we understand that a Dual-Entry System is ideal for going above a 100% Sync Ratio, as the strain on the pilot is now shared between two people, rather than all the strain going to one person."

"So, what's your plan with this?" Asuka asked, fiddling with the hem of her sundress, watching the Doctor carefully.

"My plan is to build a unique Evangelion, specifically for Dual-Syncing purposes. It will take some time, and I still have some kinks to work out, but I have the general idea here." Ritsuko replied, pulling out some blueprints and placing them on her desk. "These are the current blueprints for the first Dual-System Evangelion, named Unit-13. There's still some problems, as there's still only one Entry Plug, and I haven't yet sorted out a way to get Two Entry Plugs into the Eva, and synced together at the same time, so until that is sorted out, there is still only one Plug."

"Okay, so Unit-13 is going to be a new Eva, and will most likely be dual piloted by both Asuka and I?" Shinji asked, staring at the blueprints for Unit-13.

"Correct, Shinji. Unless something occurs in the future and we find a pair better suited to this task, you and Asuka are set for sortie in Unit-13 once its ready."

"Okay…" Asuka said, glancing hard at the documents. "Why Unit-13? What about our own Evangelions?" She asked, wanting to know precisely what would happen to her beloved Unit-02 in this case.

"The Evangelion is Unit-13 due to Commander Ikari's wishes. As for Units-01 and 02, they will still be available for your own piloting needs. Commander Ikari only wishes for Unit-13's use if absolutely necessary, so unless the need arises, you will still sortie as normal in Unit-01 Shinji, and in Unit-02 Asuka." Both pilots nodded as Ritsuko pulled the blueprints off the desk and stored them away once again. "However, due to the current standards of the technology, and how new it is compared to a Single-Entry system, we will require lots of tests from both of you."

"What!?" Shinji and Asuka replied, turning to face one another. "That's all our free time you're taking up!" Asuka replied, staring hard at the Doctor.

"It's not much more, only once a week." Ritsuko replied, staring hard at the pilots. "They will work exactly like the Sync Tests you already do twice a week, except with both of you in one plug instead of separate. We need to do this to work out the kinks in the design, and work on getting the Dual Entry Plugs working correctly. Because of this, it's entirely possible that you will be required to test more than once a week. Due to the circumstances of the system, and how it works, we will not be able to conduct these with your normal Sync Tests that you already do biweekly, due to changes in the setup."

"Three days a week!"

"Yes, Asuka. That is what is required of you as a member of this organisation." Ritsuko replied, turning away from the pilots. "That is all I needed you for." She finished, turning away from the kids. Both pilots frowned, Ritsuko seemed to have a cold disposition in her personality, acting like there was more to this than what they had been told. Misato stood quietly, and led the two teens out of the room, leaving the Scientist to work in peace.

_– End –_

* * *

**September 1st, 2015**

Shinji sighed as he entered the classroom once again for another day at School. The trip to the Over the Rainbow had been calming, and a nice change of pace from Tokyo-3. But now, he was back, and settling into his seat, the rest of his friends surrounding him. Hikari notably, had a massive smile on her face.

"What are you smiling about?" Toji asked Hikari, who turned towards him in surprise.

"No reason." She replied, her smile still on her face.

"She's obviously happy to see you!" Mari noted, settling herself on Shinji's desk to relax.

"T-That's n-not…" Hikari spluttered, before straightening up and returning to a Class Rep stance. "It doesn't matter, Sensei will say something soon."

"Hey, Mari?" Shinji asked. "Where's Rei?" Mari shrugged.

"Said she had to do some stuff at NERV. Who knows." Mari replied, shrugging.

Shinji smiled good naturedly before turning to his friends. "So, what do we think about Asuka?"

"The Princess?" Mari replied, teasingly. "She's cool I guess." She said, her mind trailing elsewhere. Shinji raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't comment.

"I like her." Hikari said.

"Of course, you would."

"What does that mean!"

"Nothing, Hikari!" Toji replied, raising his hands above his face. Hikari gave him a stink eye, but otherwise said nothing. "Anyway, she's cute and all. Ow, Hikari!" Hikari had pulled on his ear once again, before letting go. A frown on her face. "But the way she acted? She was an absolute bitch." Hikari grumbled in annoyance at Toji's language, but didn't bother to berate him for it.

"Well, at least we won't have to see her again." Kensuke said, fiddling with the side of the desk.

"Come on, guys." Shinji said, glancing out the window. "She's not that bad."

"Oh, Shinji! Do you have a crush?"

"What! Mari, no! It's not that!" Shinji replied, shaking his head. "It's just, you guys weren't there, in the Eva, against that Angel. She was, different, I guess." He said, staring out the window still.

"Well, I still feel sorry for you, and Mari, and Rei. You all have to work with her." The sound of a door opening brought the groups attention to the front of the room, where Mari grinned like a predator.

_– Evangelion 2.0 OST – Disc 1, Track 7 – 2EM08_B17 (Asuka Strikes!) –_

"Well, would you look who it is!" Shinji turned from the window, a small smile appearing on his face. Hikari laughed at her friends, particularly Kensuke and Toji, who shrieked in indignation. Toji falling down to the ground.

"WHYYYYYY?" Toji cried out as he jumped back up, pointing one finger right at the redhead who now stood at the front of the room. A piece of chalk in hand as she wrote her name on the board, humming to herself the entire time. "This is what you were smiling about!?" Toji asked Hikari, who simply grinned at him.

With a final giggle, she turned around, a nice smile sitting on her face. Her hair flipping around her with her sudden movement. Toji and Kensuke continued to groan in the background, feeling like they had just arrived in hell.

"Hey! I'm Asuka! Asuka Langley Soryu! Charmed, huh?" Asuka smiled and gave a final giggle, happy that now, she was finally in Tokyo-3, and ready to showcase to the world her excellent pilot abilities.

_– End –_

**つづく**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pilot Sync Ratios:  
Shinji – 64.3%  
Asuka – 60.7%  
Rei – 50.0%  
Mari – 23.6% (in Unit-01)  
Shinji/Asuka (Dual) – 125.0%
> 
> German – English:  
Mein Gott, beeil dich! – My god, hurry up!  
Gucknicht, du pervers! – Don't peep, you pervert!  
Dieser dumme idiot! – That stupid idiot!  
LCL Füllung. Systemsprache: Deutsch. Initiieren Sie die Aktivierungssequenz. Stellen Sie neuronale Verbindungen her und geben Sie LCL zu. Gehirnwellen und synaptische Verbindungen: Positi. Synchronisation starten. – LCL Filling. System Language: German. Initiate the activation sequence. Establish neural connections and add LCL. Brain Waves and Synaptic connections: Positive. Start Synchronisation.  
Fehler – Error  
Dummkopf – Idiot/Fool  
Heilige Schiesse – Holy Shit  
Verdammt – Damn  
Scheisse essen, Arschloch! – Eat Shit, Asshole!
> 
> What a Chapter! Above are a couple of new things that are going to go at the end of each Chapter! Firstly, we have the current Sync Ratios of all the Children as of the end of the current Chapter. First thing you'll notice, Shinji is higher than Asuka! This is very important, as this means Asuka's downfall will be caused by both a mixture of new and original reasons, so look forward to that! As for the second thing, German to English translations, now that Asuka's in the Story Proper, she'll be spouting some German every now and then, so I've got translations of what she's saying at the end of the chapter. I hope they are good, as I used an online translator from the Cambridge Dictionary Website to get these. Future Chapters most likely won't be as long with German – English Translations, the big thing here was Asuka's startup sequence, that was entirely in German.
> 
> Some people might have some problems with Shinji taking a bit more charge here than he did in the series. Keep in mind that Shinji himself is more confidant here because of the Angels, as well as the bits of his Manga Personality. As for Asuka nearly breaking down, she's never been in a true battle situation before, so I wanted to give a couple moments to Shinji and Asuka in this chapter during the Gaghiel Battle.
> 
> Ramiel gives the Eva the ability to use his Particle Beam! At the expense of a long charge time, so she's powerful, but is hindered by the amount of time it takes to get it working. As such, the Pacific Fleet ended up slightly better for wear.
> 
> Anyway, with that being said, next chapter is… Episode 9! Yep, we're jumping straight into it! Very excited for this one, and I hope you are too!
> 
> Until the 21st…
> 
> Chapter Title Inspiration: Neon Genesis Evangelion Manga, Stage 3


	21. Moment, Heart, Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asuka settles into life in Tokyo-3 as she starts Sync Testing with a Dual-Entry System. Mere days later, the Seventh Angel attacks the shores of the city and Unit-01 and Unit-02 are sent to intercept. Not everything goes according to plan, however...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so here's Chapter 21! Lots of stuff here, some early work towards Unit-13, and of course, Israfel arrives and attacks! Very long chapter here, it ended up being about 25,000 Words! How did I manage that? It just happened I swear.
> 
> I should also note that alongside this new chapter update, Chapter 1 has also been rewritten! So, if you haven't already, go have a read of that as well, lots of improvements there!

**September 2nd, 2015**

A long day at school had come to a close, and Shinji, Asuka and Mari had been called to NERV for another Sync Test. Asuka's first since arriving in Tokyo-3.

"Ready for your first Sync Test in Japan, Princess?" Mari asked, skipping along the path towards the Geofront.

"Yes!" Asuka replied, her competitive nature coming out in full force. "Of course, I will have the highest score, seeing as I am the best pilot!"

"I don't know about that, Princess. The Puppy over here's been ranking pretty decently as well." Mari replied, keeping an eye on Asuka, wondering what the reaction will be. Mari had already gathered that Asuka was quite competitive, so she wondered what Shinji's more laid back attitude would provide.

"Oh really, Shinji!? Ranking decently, well, are we?" Asuka asked, getting up in the boy's face.

"Well yeah, I mean… it's alright." Shinji replied, staring at the ground.

"You can be so boring sometimes." Asuka bluntly said, causing Shinji to blush. Asuka started running then, glancing over her shoulder towards her fellow pilots. "Chase me, Third Child!" She cackled gleefully, dashing ahead. Shinji shrugged, before running after her. Mari grinned.

'They're so adorable!' Mari thought as she trailed along at a slower pace.

* * *

"Oh yeah! Asuka's the best!" Asuka cried out as she arrived as the NERV HQ entrance, revelling in her victory. Shinji came up soon after, panting slightly. "How's that, Third Child!?" She asked, turning towards the boy, who simply smiled at her.

"It's good, Asuka." He replied, giving her a good-natured smile. "You certainly are the best." He said, feeding her ego slightly. She gave him a smile, as Mari sauntered towards them.

"Wow! What a race!" She said, wringing her hands. "Obviously, you were both here before I was, so did you get up to anything… interesting… while you were waiting?" She asked with a cat-like grin adorning her face. Asuka blanched at Mari's question, as Shinji laughed behind her.

"What the hell are you implying by that!?" She said, getting up in Mari's face. "And why are you laughing Shinji!?"

"I'm just kidding. Geez, learn to take a joke, Princess." Mari replied, laughing slightly. Asuka huffed and turned towards the main doors, pulling out her ID Card and swiping it, opening the door, she entered quickly, grumbling something along the lines of Four-Eyes as the door shut again. Shinji sighed, turning to Mari beside him.

"Do you always have to rile her up?" He asked, wondering exactly why Mari continued to do this to Asuka. Mari shrugged.

"I can get reactions out of her, similar to you, Puppy." Mari replied, patting the boys head, stepping towards the doors and swiping her ID Card, entering the large pyramid herself. Shinji sighed, confused as he stepped towards the doors himself, pulling out his own ID Card and entering the large complex after his fellow pilots.

* * *

"LCL Filling. Starting Sync Testing. Voltage increasing to Critical Point. Voltage has passed Critical Point. Insert Synapses, Connect Junction. Transmitting Pulse. Connecting all Pilots to A-10 Headsets. All Circuits Operational. Sync Test has begun." Came the voice of Maya Ibuki over the intercom, as the four Children settled into their test plugs for their next sync test, their first after the retrieval of Unit-02 and the defeat of Gaghiel. The Children settled into their meditative states for the Sync Test, relaxing back against the seats as the Sync Test took full effect.

"Excellent, Maya." Ritsuko stated, standing beside Misato, who stood watching the four plugs carefully.

"How are they coming along, Maya?" Misato asked, wondering about her pilots and how they were progressing.

"Currently, all Pilots are settling slowly. Rei is slowing quickly, as usual. Settling once again at 50%." Ritsuko furrowed her brow.

"I've got to find some way to get Rei's Sync Ratio moving, it's been at 50 for a while now." Ritsuko noted, dotting something down on her clipboard.

"Maybe try to get her socialising with the others more." Misato suggested, thinking to herself. "Shinji developed a small group of friends soon after he arrived, and it seems that Mari and Asuka have slotted themselves right into that group as well. Rei seems to be friendly with them, but I don't know if she's actually considered a part of their group."

"I'm sure she is, Major." Maya replied, continuing to note the changes in the Synchro Graph. "Rei is just a very quiet and reserved person." She said, thinking back on the other times she'd seen and talked to the girl, which admittedly, wasn't very often.

"Yeah…" Misato replied, considering her idea once again.

"What about the others, Maya." Ritsuko asked, coming over to glance at the monitor over Maya's shoulder.

"Well, Shinji and Asuka are still fluctuating wildly, Akagi-sempai. But Mari is starting to settle, she's gone up, but only by a couple of points."

"Once we get an Eva that's suited for her we should see some better results." Ritsuko said, noting on her clipboard once again. "Let me know when Shinji and Asuka start to settle." She said, returning to glancing out towards the Test Plugs, sitting in the pool of LCL.

"What's the status on Unit-03?" Misato asked, as Ritsuko stood beside her. Ritsuko glanced over at her friend for a moment, before replying.

"It should arrive later this evening, unless something happens to the craft, but we haven't heard anything about that."

"It was going to be sent over by sea, wasn't it?" Misato asked, crossing her arms. "What happened?"

"The Over the Rainbow was supposed to pick it up, but the risk of an Angel threw off NERV-01, and they decided to send it over by air." Misato frowned.

"They were that concerned?" She asked, wondering what NERV-01 thought of the current situation.

"Yes, they didn't want anything to happen to their prized creation, so they sent it by air." Misato nodded, continuing to watch the sync test carefully.

"What about the Fourth Child? Have we heard anything from the Marduk Institute?"

"Not yet. But we are assured by the Commander that the Fourth Child will be found." Misato raised an eyebrow at her friend, confusion arising.

"What about Mari? Why can't she pilot Unit-03?" She asked, wondering.

"We've already been told that the Proto Child will not be applicable to Unit-03, we'll have to wait for a later Unit to arrive." Misato frowned, but chose not to reply as Maya spoke up, breaking through their conversation.

"Major, Sempai, Shinji and Asuka are starting to settle." Maya announced, bringing the attention of the Head of Operations and Head Scientist back to the Sync Test in progress.

"Excellent, Maya." Ritsuko replied, heading over to the technician, intent on seeing the current progress.

"What have we got, Maya?" Misato asked, watching the plugs carefully.

"Well, Asuka's raised herself a little bit, but only by a small percentage. Shinji is the same, although he is actually higher than Asuka!" Maya was surprised, thinking that Asuka, having been selected before Shinji, would have a higher sync ratio, not the other way around.

"I'm more curious to see what Asuka will think of this." Misato replied, knowing the girl prided herself on being the best of all the pilots.

"That'll certainly be an interesting conversation, so you can be the one to tell her, Misato." Ritsuko replied, giving her friend a small smirk. Misato gave her friend a glare in reply, knowing how prideful the redhead could be. "Let them sit for another couple of hours Maya, let me know if anything changes, I've got some work to do to prepare for tomorrow's test with both Shinji and Asuka."

"Of course, sempai." Maya replied, keeping an eye on the readings in front of her as Ritsuko left the room, the door sliding shut with a snap behind her.

* * *

"Hey, Makoto?" Shigeru asked, idly playing Air Guitar with his hands.

"Yes?" Makoto replied, actually paying attention to her desk, glancing over the readouts from the city. A necessary position of work, as knowing whether anything like an Angel attacking the city was a necessary precaution.

"I wonder what Maya's doing right now?" Shigeru said idly, continuing his imaginary plucking.

"Working, I'd think." Makoto replied, scanning his eyes over the readings. It was a pretty normal day. "You know, unlike you." He gave his friend a small smile, causing Shigeru to laugh idly in response.

"Hey, there's nothing going on right now, I think I deserve some downtime!" Shigeru replied, giving his friend a small smile. Makoto sighed, returning to the readings in front of him. "Anything interesting?"

"Nope." Makoto sighed. "Same as many other days. I wonder what the Major's doing?"

"I think the Pilots have a sync test?" Shigeru noted, scratching his head slightly. "That's probably where the Major and Maya are."

"That'd be a pretty good assumption." Makoto replied, turning around in his chair. "What about the Commander?"

"He's currently holed up in his office, some stuff of some sort. The Sub-Commander might come through at some point though." Shigeru said, indicating towards the rather empty Central Dogma.

"Who knows, although not many people are here, considering the current circumstances." Makoto said, returning to his board. Shigeru snorted, knowing that these situations should never be taken lightly, also returning to his own work after relaxing for a while.

The large Command Centre was silent for a while, as Makoto and Shigeru worked diligently, as much as they could given the circumstances. The silence was broken when the door slid open, and Kozo Fuyutsuki walked onto the main Command Centre. Makoto and Shigeru turned when the Sub-Commander entered the room, rising and standing straight for their superior.

"Afternoon, sir!" They chanted in unison, causing the old man to give a warm smile, indicating them to sit down.

"Afternoon, Lieutenants." Fuyutsuki replied, causing the Technicians to sit down and resume their work. "Anything of interest?" He asked, wondering what the current climate said.

"Nothing right now, sir." Makoto replied, flipping through some data. "Everything is very much normal.

"Good, Aoba, is there anything from the JSSDF?"

"No, sir. The JSSDF have been largely silent, especially since Major Katsuragi gave them a stern reply to their request to send an Evangelion out against the Fourth Angel." Fuyutsuki gave a small smile at that.

"Good, they will mostly be out of our way unless we desperately need them to be around." He said, relaxing slightly, but remaining stood at attention. "What about the Angels?"

"You mean the little ones that stick around the Pilots?" Makoto asked, glancing over at the Sub-Commander.

"Yes," Fuyutsuki said, concern about when the next Angel would attack striking him. The previous Angels had been very random in their appearance, including possibly appearing earlier than they meant to, and the reveal of the Eighteenth Angel at NERV's 5th Branch in Antarctica had set alarms going in both Gendo and Fuyutsuki's heads. It turns out there was far more to the Angels than they initially thought. "I'm wondering if they've been seen today."

"No, they haven't." Shigeru said, flipping up more data. "I think they were staying at the Major's apartment today, deciding to relax at home and bring the new Angel, the one defeated out at sea, the rundown on what was happening, and what they were doing."

"The Sixth is also here?" Fuyutsuki said, rubbing his chin in thought. "This could be interesting. Any idea what they're able to do with the Eva's?" He asked, wondering what the Computer Technicians thought.

"Not sure, sir. Although we know what three of them can do." Makoto said, bringing up the data on the Angel's while they were inside the Eva's. "They change what the Eva can actually do, and we definitely know what three of them can do, but not what the Sixth and Eighteenth can."

"So, it's simply a case of what the pilot decides."

"Correct, sir."

"Very good." Fuyutsuki said, turning away from the Lieutenants. "I will take my leave now, I continue to expect good work from you, all three of you." With a small wave, Fuyutsuki exited the room, the door sliding shut behind him.

"Yes, sir!" Both men stated, as the room fell into silence once more. Being broken only by the tapping of keyboards and screens from Makoto, and the occasional humming from Shigeru.

* * *

_– Evangelion 2.0 OST – Disc 1, Track 4 – 2EM05_KK_B09 –_

"So, Gaghiel. Welcome to the home." Sachiel started, strutting back and forth on the kitchen table, a ladle in his hand, as he indicated to the board that had somehow been procured behind him, aside from the chore list, which hadn't changed once since Shinji arrived, it was being used to instruct Gaghiel on his behaviour, and how to proceed with Gaghiel around the house.

"Sir, yes, sir!" Gaghiel replied, bringing a fin up to his head, before bursting into laughter. The entire group was there, while their pilots were busy with School and their Sync Test.

"Yes, very good, Gaghiel!" Sachiel replied, exactly what he wanted and expected from his brother. Shamshel just sat staring, unsure of what was happening.

"Okay, what exactly are you doing?" Shamshel asked, his head tilted slightly as he stared at his brother, with the ladle in his hand.

"Instructing Gaghiel, besides, we haven't seen him in a while! It's fun to be reunited with both new and old siblings!" Sachiel said, indicating to both Gaghiel, who was currently idly tapping Skeletal's bones, rattling around the table.

"That was fun!"

"Yes."

"Precisely!" Sachiel said, giving his brother and sister satisfied looks. "You just need to lighten up a bit Shamshel, Gaghiel's here! It's going to be fun!" Shamshel slammed a plasma whip against his head, wondering just what he did to deserve the ridiculous siblings he had.

"You seem to forget that Gaghiel is a bit… overly excited. Besides, why are you dressed like that?" He asked, indicating to the various bits and pieces from the kitchen Sachiel had thrown together to look somewhat like an army general.

"Because it's important!" Sachiel said, giving his brother a grin. "Orientation is a very important series of events." He said, waving the ladle around as he talked. "So, Gaghiel! Before we jump into the main orientation, we have to settle some things." Sachiel said, pointing at the board, which currently held a very crude drawing of Asuka. "So, Gaghiel, this is Asuka, she is your pilot, correct?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" Gaghiel replied, bursting into giggles again.

"Excellent, sergeant!" Sachiel replied, giving his brother a salute.

"Why, sergeant?"

"Don't question my authority, Shamshel!"

"I would never…" Shamshel replied, sarcastically.

"Good! Now, Gaghiel!" Sachiel continued, pointing his ladle at the Angel in question. "First things first, you have the best situation of all of us. You are able to inspect Asuka, and understand just what it means to be a human female. However! Misato is off limits, only I have permission to inspect her."

"What does this have to do with setting the rules in this home!?"

"Quiet, Shamshel!"

"Yes."

"Oh god, you've got Ramiel doing it too!?" Sachiel gave his brother an exasperated look, before continuing.

"Don't worry, Shamshel!" Gaghiel said, floating over to his brother. "I will take on this role with precision, and triumph, and… um… some other word…"

"That's not really your job, Gaghiel!" Shamshel said, once again slapping his forehead.

"C-c-calm d-d-down, Shamshel." Skeletal said, twittering across the table. "Y-your just a-annoyed that we e-e-ended up with the f-f-f-female pilots and you got S-s-shinji!" Skeletal said, waving his bones at Shamshel, who rolled his eyes.

"Being with the female pilots does not give you permission to ogle them! Besides, Shinji is probably the best pilot we've got, and having us around is actually helping him, he's grown significantly as a person since Sachiel met him. Do you seriously think that he would have stood up to Asuka like he did the other day without us helping with his social abilities? Besides, you guys didn't see him after he defeated me!"

"Ogle? What does that mean?" Gaghiel asked, staring at Sachiel expectantly.

"Ramiel!" Sachiel called, causing the Blue Octahedron to float up slowly. "Definition!"

"Yes." Ramiel floated over to the nearby computer, staring intently at the screen, before floating back over to Sachiel, handing him a small piece of paper.

"Ogle. Stare at in a lecherous manner. Whatever that means." Sachiel said, throwing the paper away, and turning back to the board.

"What does lecherous mean?" Gaghiel asked, wondering. Sachiel turned quickly, intent on calling Ramiel once again.

"Can we just move on!?" Shamshel said. "So far, this entire orientation has been entirely pointed towards your weird science experiment, Sachiel! Can we move on to something more reasonable!?"

"My science experiment is not weird, it's top of the line information, that one day, everyone will be lining up to – "

"Get to the point."

"Fine!" Sachiel replied, glancing out at the room. "Doesn't like my ingenious experiment." He muttered to himself, before turning to Gaghiel. "Alright, Gaghiel!"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"Please, stop…"

"Anyway," Sachiel said, pointing at the board. "Living here is very simple, don't do anything stupid. That's it!"

"Really?"

"Yep!"

"This entire orientation, as you called it, led up to this one. Small. Rule."

"Yep!"

"You're insane." Shamshel said, slumping back against the chair. "Well, at least we can wait for the pilots to arrive."

_– End –_

"Isn't Unit-03 arriving later?" Sachiel asked, pointing the ladle at Shamshel.

"Yes, it is."

"We should go meet up with the pilots before it gets here." Sachiel said, the ladle continuing to flap around as he continued.

"Good idea." Shamshel commented. "Better meet up with them soon, what time were they finishing their sync test?"

"Yes." Ramiel said, floating away from the computer.

"So, now?"

"Yep!"

"Thanks, Gaghiel!" Sachiel said, floating quickly towards the door. "Let's get going, right now!"

"Sachiel!" Shamshel called, causing the other Angel to turn around immediately. "Put the ladle down." Sachiel glanced down at the ladle still in his hand.

"But I like it!" Shamshel rolled his eyes.

"Fine then, but if Misato finds out you have the ladle from her kitchen."

"Don't worry, Shamshel! She won't find out about the ladle!"

* * *

"Sachiel." Misato asked, glancing over at the Third Angel as it floated beside her. The wait for the arrival of Unit-03 currently taking place as Shinji, Asuka, Rei and Mari stood beside Ritsuko, who was currently running data.

"Yes!" He said, spinning around, his ladle flying around with him as he twirled.

"Why do you have a ladle?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at the Angel, who flittered around in reply.

"No reason." Sachiel replied, deciding not to let the woman know what had been happening in the apartment before they had arrived here. She gave him a small smile, before turning to the pilots, who were starting to get restless, for different reasons.

Rei simply sat, staring up at the sky, getting restless simply because of how long it was taking for Unit-03 to arrive. "It should be here by now." She simply said, her uniform skirt fluttering slightly in the small wind.

Mari was ecstatic! She felt excited about the arrival of a new Eva! And while she knew that it wouldn't be her new Eva, she was still excited for whoever the Fourth Child would be! "Don't worry, Blueberry! I'm sure there're not that far away." Mari said, causing Rei to glance at her, before returning to staring at the sky.

Shinji was simply bored. He really couldn't care less about the arrival of a new Evangelion, considering his thoughts on the machine in general. To be fair, he had warmed to the machines, slightly. But that was mostly due to the Angels, and the fact that he now had fellow pilots and Evangelions available, in Rei and Unit-00, and Asuka and Unit-02. "So, wait. Sachiel created some big moment and went on and on only to tell Gaghiel that there was only one rule to living with us? Also, why is he living with us!?" He said, talking to Shamshel, who shrugged.

"I don't know, apparently Sachiel is an all-knowing god or something. At least, that's what he thinks."

"I heard that! I will have you know that I know everything!" Shinji just gave Sachiel a small grin, before returning to glancing at the ground, occasionally talking to Sachiel or Shamshel. He thought as he listened to the Angels bicker. 'Who will the Fourth Child be?' That one thought wouldn't leave his mind.

Asuka, like her fellow pilot, couldn't particularly care about the arrival of Unit-03, after all, she already had her Unit-02! No, Asuka was restless because she really wanted to know the sync scores after her first sync test in Tokyo-3. That, and she really wanted to hear another voice that wasn't Gaghiel going on about Sachiel's grand plan in her ear. "Please, Misato! I've got to know that I had the highest!" Asuka said, directed towards Misato, who grinned at her.

"Be patient, Asuka." She simply said, but Asuka grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest and shaking her head in annoyance.

"But I'm sure we all want to know!" Asuka replied, indicating to the rest of the Children, who weren't paying attention. Misato rolled her eyes, turning towards her colleague.

"Better just tell them Ritsuko, it'll please Asuka's ego I'm sure." Misato jokingly said, causing Ritsuko to glare at her for a moment, before pulling out some more notes.

"Alright, well… Here's the results that we got. Mari, you're currently at the bottom, but we have a feeling that also has to do with you testing inside of Unit-01 instead of your own Unit. You did mark a bit higher though, a good one percent higher. When you receive an Eva for yourself, we'll be expecting higher results from you." Ritsuko said, talking to Mari directly first. Mari simply nodded, understanding that she wouldn't be getting very far without her own Eva, specifically formatted for her.

"Understood, Doc!" She replied, giving the stern doctor a thumbs up. Ritsuko paid her no mind as she continued.

"Rei, you're currently right in the middle, still holding at fifty flat. You haven't changed since your last test."

"Yes." Rei replied, continuing to stare at the sky.

"Shinji, Asuka. You're both holding at the low-mid 60 mark. Asuka, you're currently sitting in the early sixties, and saw a little improvement. But still very good." Asuka grinned, happy that she was sitting considerably high. "However, you aren't the highest." Asuka's face fell. "That honour goes to Shinji, who managed to score around 65, he also saw a little improvement. Congrats, Shinji." Shinji managed a small smile at the compliment.

"Hey, good job, Shinji!" Sachiel said, his ladle pointed right at him.

"Sachiel's right, Shinji. You've put in a lot of hard work." Shamshel said, making the boy smile.

"Yes." Ramiel said, floating silently beside him. He laughed as Mari and Rei also congratulated him, Skeletal floating behind Mari silently.

"Hey, look at that Asuka, Shinji beat you!" Gaghiel said, floating over to congratulate Shinji.

"Yeah. I heard." Asuka replied, agitated. Shinji glanced up, staring over at her. She turned her head away, in frustration.

Shinji frowned, something was wrong. "Excuse me, Mari." Shinji said, as Mari tried to give him a celebratory hug. Mari pouted but moved out of the way. Shinji headed towards Asuka, intent on speaking to her. "Asuka?"

"Don't talk to me." She said, facing away from him. She didn't want to turn around to face him. No, she wouldn't give him the time of day.

"Asuka…" Shinji continued, placing a hand on her shoulder. She brushed him off, angrily.

"I get it, Third Child. You're better than me. Now, leave me alone!" She finished, finally turning to look him in the eye. Giving him a nasty glare, before turning abruptly and storming away. Shinji stared after her, as Misato came up behind him.

"She'll come around, Shinji." She said, glancing at her charge in concern.

"I just, did what I usually do. I didn't know I'd beat her." He said, continuing to stare at Asuka as she stood as far away from him as possible. "Maybe I shouldn't do this well. I only want her to be… happy." He finally said, staring after the girl. Misato sighed.

"Asuka's been piloting for pretty much her whole life." Misato said, as Shinji glanced up at her. "As such, she's grown very accustomed to it. She's very good actually, she was fully expecting to be able to beat you. When she didn't, to her, it probably felt like her world was crashing down." Shinji looked fearful.

"I don't want that to happen! Besides, I'm not that far ahead of her…" He said, glancing at his guardian.

"And it won't." Misato replied softly, as Shinji relaxed. "She just needs a bit of time. She'll realise that she's not far behind, and then she'll probably see you as a rival. That's just how Asuka is. Give it a day or two."

"Okay." Shinji replied, glumly.

"Cheer up, Shinji. We'll have good old Asuka back in no time!" Misato said, as a sudden gust of wind started to blow heavily. Ritsuko pulled out another set of notes, as a large jet settled down towards the Geofront. Unit-03 was proudly displayed on the underbelly of the jet, settling into place above them. The Unit looked a lot like Unit-02. It had the same general design as Unit-02. That made sense considering it was also a Production Model Evangelion, however there were small changes compared to Unit-02, and even Unit-01 and Unit-00. Unit-03 was largely black, although had quite a bit of White striped though, notably across it's chest, to offset this, it also had some dark red details littered around it. Its head was the notably different aspect, being more dinosaur-like, similar to Unit-01. What surprised most of the Children though was the glow that came from the dark red highlights.

"Unit-03 glows slightly in the dark! That's so cool!" Mari cried out, stepping forward. "I like this one!"

"I can tell, Mari." Ritsuko replied, as Unit-03 was lowered off its pedestal, and started to be manoeuvred away by nearby NERV personnel. "However, this is most definitely not your Eva. We've already concluded that Unit-03 is not fit for you." Mari simply nodded, knowing she'd get her own Eva eventually.

"It looks like Unit-02." Asuka stated, staring right at the Eva as it began to be manoeuvred away.

"That's because it's also a Production Model, Asuka." Misato replied, settling beside the redhead. "Just like your Unit-02."

"But my Eva's better, right!?" She said, staring hard at the Doctor.

"Well, actually, we think that both Unit-01 and Unit-02 are more battle-ready Eva's than Unit-03. We've done some extensive testing, and there's some things we'll need to fine-tune before we get the Fourth Child ready and testing."

"Fourth Child?" Shinji asked, fearing the worst.

"But of course." Ritsuko replied. "We have a new Eva, so there will be a Fourth Child." The Doctor said, sure of herself.

Misato stared at her friend in thought. 'I haven't received anything from the Marduk Institute… How can you be so sure, Ritsuko?' Misato frowned. There was something that felt… fishy about this.

Unit-03 continued to watch, as it was slowly taken into the depths of NERV HQ, into its new home for the foreseeable future. Pilotless, and stationary.

* * *

**September 3rd, 2015**

"In the first year of the twenty-first century, a large meteorite collided with the continent of Antarctica, creating the event that has become known as the Second Impact." The usual drawl of Class 2-A's Sensei became the known babble of the morning. As it usually was. "When the meteorite collided, the Ice Caps instantly melted, raising the sea level sixty meters."

"Hey Toji?"

"Yes, Kensuke?" Said boy, replied, glancing over at his friend.

"Do you think we could make some easy cash from the new girl?"

"The devil?" Toji replied, glancing up to pretend he was paying attention. "I mean sure, but Hikari will have our asses if we do anything like that. They've been best friends since she arrived."

"The Class Rep? You don't have to worry about that." Kensuke replied, giving his friend a small smirk. "Here's what I have planned."

"Do you think I have a chance?" One of the many males in the class said.

"Nope, none in a million. You're a dork, you've got nothing." Shinji sighed as he heard the conversations of his fellow classmates chatting to each other. It got him thinking though.

'I mean, I guess she's cute…' He thought, glancing at the back of the girl's head. 'But she's been annoyed with me ever since yesterday. I didn't even try to beat her in the Sync Test, it just… happened…' He thought

"An onslaught of heavy weather, and the economic panic that ensued…" The Sensei droned on, his talk about Second Impact continuing.

'Wow, this Sensei is really boring.' Shinji thought, glancing over at Asuka again. 'Oh, well. At least now we have more than one active Eva. Means I can share the work load.' He was spinning his pen around in boredom, in an attempt to ease it in some way. He only just noticed it flying out of his hand and landing awkwardly on the ground. He glanced up at Sensei, hoping he didn't notice anything. He glanced over at Hikari, who was currently giving him a glare for disrupting class. 'But I didn't disrupt anything…' He moved too slowly pick it up, when he found it being held in front of him.

"Here." Came Asuka's whisper, giving him a small smirk.

"Thanks." Shinji replied, giving the girl a wary look. He slowly took the pen, feeling a sticky substance on his hand. He glanced down at his hand, seeing the gum that had been stuck to the pen, and now his hand. 'Thanks for nothing…' He thought, giving the girl a glare. She simply gave him a glare back, before turning to the front of the class.

The bell rung soon after, signifying the end of the period, and the start of Lunch. The class quickly packed up their stuff and exited the building, heading towards the courtyards to hang out with their friends. The small group of Eva Pilots, and Toji, Hikari and Kensuke, headed out of the Classroom towards the Cafeteria.

"Lunch! It's the best time of the day!" Toji said as they entered the Cafeteria, heading towards a nearby table.

"Of course, it is!" Asuka started. "For a Stooge like yourself! Constantly eating food, you'll end up getting fat!"

"Oh yeah, and what's the Red Devil gonna do about it!" Toji replied, getting into the girl's face. Asuka scowled, glaring hard at the jock. "Who cares if I eat a lot!"

"Calm down, Toji! Asuka! Now's not the time to fight!" Hikari said, coming between them. "Asuka, just let Toji get his food. Toji, please don't take every chance to antagonise Asuka." Both individuals simply shrugged.

"My my, Princess is being very snippy today." Mari noted, glancing at said girl. "Is she, annoyed about something? Maybe, being beaten in the Sync Test?"

"Shut up, Four-Eyes!" Asuka replied, angry. "I should've been the best! I'd been doing this for much longer than any of you!" Asuka said, glaring right at Shinji, who hadn't spoken since they'd entered the Cafeteria. "The Amateur over here ended up getting the best score! It's obviously because his Eva is only a Test Type! That's how easy it is for him to sync with it!" Mari frowned over at Asuka, but declined to reply. Shinji was frowning, staring at Asuka.

"I didn't want to beat you, Asuka. I just did what I usually did." He said quietly, the redhead turned immediately and gave him a look, stepping over to him.

"_Was war das?_" Asuka asked, coming towards Shinji, staring him right in the eye. Shinji frowned, he didn't know what Asuka had just said to him.

"What'd you say?" Shinji asked. Asuka growled, cursing under her breath.

"I said… What was that?" She asked again, continuing to look the boy in the eye. Shinji stared defiantly right back.

"I said, I didn't want to beat you. I wasn't trying to beat you. I was just doing the same thing I'd done every other Sync Test up to that point." Asuka continued to frown.

"So, you think highly of yourself, Third?" She asked, a demonic grin on her face. "Probably gets glowing praise! Considering his own father is the Commander! That's it, isn't it? You're just a little Daddy's boy!" Shinji growled, stepping forward, so there was next to no room between them.

"My father…" He started, his voice dangerously low, staring right at Asuka. "Doesn't give a single shit about me. If he did, I wouldn't be living with Misato now, would I? So, no, Asuka. I'm not a little father's boy. It doesn't help that my mother is dead. So, my father thinks it's a good idea to leave his only son. No words. No letters. Nothing. Not until he had a use for me. So, if that's how you think it is, then you can leave me alone!" Shinji growled, shouting the last bit, crossing his arms and storming away. Leaving the girl staring after him in shock.

"_Mein Gott…_" She finally said, staring after the boy as he sat at a table, and pulled out his own Lunch. She softly started to walk over to the table, being stopped quickly by a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Hikari giving her a small smile.

"Maybe it's best to leave Shinji alone for a little while."

"No… I…" Asuka started, glancing over at him. Hikari gave her friend another smile.

"You'll see him again later, won't you? Don't you have that Sync Test thing this afternoon?" Hikari asked, remembering how her friend had made it quite clear her thoughts on that situation when they had become friends. Hikari then left, heading towards Shinji's table herself, Mari and Rei following behind. Toji and Kensuke soon made their way over as well, and the group settled down, as Asuka watched from afar. She decided to head over as well, but keeping to herself.

"I didn't know…" She muttered to herself as she headed towards the table, sitting on the end, wincing as Shinji glared at her. 'I deserve that. _Hört auf, Dinge anzunehmen, _Asuka.' She thought as she silently ate her lunch.

* * *

The group left school as one, before splitting off as usual. Mari heading back towards her quarters. Rei back towards her own home. Toji, Hikari and Kensuke back to their homes, and Shinji and Asuka towards NERV HQ for their first joint Sync Test.

"Well, have fun you two!" Hikari called as she left with Toji and Kensuke. Shinji just grunted in reply, as Asuka just smiled sadly at her friend. Shinji didn't speak as they headed towards NERV HQ, Asuka walking along beside him, she wouldn't look at him. She couldn't. She was incredibly disappointed in herself. Which felt weird to her, she didn't usually feel like this when she argued with someone. Yet, when she had her argument with Shinji, it didn't last very long, which was highly unusual. She was fully expecting it to be like Toji, who fought back aggressively, and she hadn't expected to back down as easily as she did. She knew what caused it, the words that he said. It stirred something in her that she had pushed to the back of her mind years ago. She realised then that there were some things that were very similar between the two of them. She sighed, fiddling with the hem of the school issued dress that the females had to wear. 'Get your act together, Asuka.' She thought, as she continued to scrunch up her uniform. 'You're not usually like this.'

_– Neon Genesis Evangelion OST II – Track 4 – A Crystalline Night Sky –_

"Shinji?" Asuka tried, glancing at the boy. He glanced back at her, giving a slight nod. He was still annoyed from earlier. "_Es tut mir leid._"

"Sorry?" Shinji asked, turning around and looking at the girl for the first time since he glared at her during Lunch. Asuka blushed under his look, but replied anyway.

"It means I'm Sorry." She said, this time so he would understand. "I keep forgetting that you don't know German." She idly noted, before continuing. "I shouldn't have argued with you about the Sync Test. I should've known you were just doing what you've always been doing with the Eva, and for that, I'm sorry." She finally got the words out staring down at the ground.

Shinji stepped forward, gently bringing her head up so she was looking at him again. "Asuka, it's fine." He finally said. "I don't care if I do better than you or not, and you shouldn't either, just because you don't have the highest sync score doesn't mean you can't be the best Eva Pilot." He said, giving her a small smile.

"You're right." Asuka replied, gently swatting his hand away and standing upright again. "I am the best Eva Pilot, and you know it!" She said, grinning broadly. Shinji smiled back.

"Now there's the Asuka I know! Besides, wouldn't want our first joint test to go badly due to a fight, right?" Shinji replied, the smile lighting up his face.

They continued their path for a bit, silence between them. Simply enjoying each other's company over speaking to each other. Asuka however, broke the silence. "I really am Sorry, Shinji. I shouldn't get worked up about something as trivial as a number."

"It's fine, besides, the real test comes against an Angel, right?" He said, giving her a sideways look.

"Absolutely!" Asuka replied. "Don't you worry, Shinji! I'll show you how to deal with an Angel quickly and efficiently when the next one attacks! You won't even need to be deployed." Asuka confidently stated.

"I don't know." Shinji replied, letting the words come slowly. "You might just need little old me for backup if the need arises." Asuka laughed slightly, glancing over at him.

"Or… I might just want you out there by my side." She said softly, so only he could hear. Shinji smiled at her, silence ensuing once again as they quickly arrived upon the giant pyramid that was NERV HQ. Both entered the complex quickly, their ID Cards allowing them access as the giant door shut loudly behind them. They quickly travelled the well-worn path towards the changing rooms, where their Plugsuits awaited them. As they travelled, Shinji spoke again.

_– End –_

"You know, if you're going to speak German a lot, maybe you should teach me some German?" Shinji said, glancing at his companion, who gave him a curious look.

"Sounds interesting. Why?" She asked, her hands relaxed behind her head.

"Well, you slip into German quite a bit, and you still fully expect us to know what you're saying. Like earlier, when you said I'm sorry in German. I didn't know that's what you said. So maybe, if you teach all of us a bit of German, we can actually understand what you're saying when you slip into it." Shinji said, having thought about this a bit since Asuka had arrived.

"You know, I'm surprised Misato didn't teach you any German, knowing I was coming over. She did look after me at NERV-3 for a while, before she got promoted and Kaji took over!" She finished, squealing slightly. "But yeah, I can do that. Maybe then we can have arguments in German and no one will know what we're arguing about!" Asuka laughed as she thought about that, chirping happily to herself.

"Or just so we can have conversations, just between the two of us, with no one else knowing." Shinji said quietly. Asuka blushed slightly, but nodded as they arrived at the changing rooms. They gave each other a small smile, before ducking in.

"Hey Shinji!" Asuka called out, from her side, as Shinji stripped himself of his clothing and gathered his plugsuit around him. "No peeking!" She said playfully, as both Plugsuits compressed themselves to their bodies at the press of a button. They met outside the change rooms as normal, as Ritsuko's voice came over the speakers.

"Shinji and Asuka, report to the testing plug please. Wait until we give you the go ahead to enter the plug when you arrive." Shinji glanced at Asuka, who shrugged at him, before they both wandered towards the newest test plug, designed specifically for Unit-13.

When they arrived, they noticed only one plug sitting towards the LCL, like they usually saw when they did individual Sync Tests. They glanced at each other as the loudspeaker came on again. "You will notice there is only one plug. We're still working on getting a dual-entry system working, so for now, we're going to be using one plug and purely seeing how high your combined Sync Score is, together inside the one plug. For today, we want to have Shinji sitting in the seat, with Asuka behind, to see if we can get any difference in a possible Sync Ratio. We'll test with Asuka in the seat, and Shinji behind in a couple days to get some solid Sync data, before we start testing the Dual Entry Plugs. You may now enter the Plug." Ritsuko's voice faded out, causing both Shinji and Asuka to look at each other.

"Where are the Angels?" Shinji called out, wondering where they could be.

"Hi, Shinji!" Came Sachiel's voice over the speakers. "We're up here!"

"We decided to come watch, I don't think it'll be overly interesting, but Sachiel and Gaghiel were really interested." Shamshel said, his voice echoing around the chamber.

"Yes."

"Hi, Asuka! Are you excited, Asuka? Oh, this is going to be so interesting!" Gaghiel fretted, causing Asuka to groan, making Shinji laugh. They both entered the plug, Shinji sitting down, Asuka hanging on the back of the seat beside him. The hatch closed, and the plug filled with LCL.

"Is Gaghiel usually like that?" Shinji asked, as he got used to the feeling of LCL once again.

"Yes." Asuka replied flatly as they both settled into a meditative mode. "I hate doing this more than three times a week." She said, as she glanced at her companion.

"I agree." Shinji said, relaxing back against the Plug's seat. "Three times is more than enough."

"Let's just hope we can get these tests done quickly, I want to go home and rest!" Asuka cried out as the speakers came on inside the plug.

"Quiet, you two." Came Misato's voice over the comline. "The test is starting, and I assume you'll be in there for a while." Shinji and Asuka grumbled as they started their test. Relaxing into a meditative position as the test officially began.

This continued for the next hour or so, with Ritsuko constantly checking in with Maya on where the two pilots where in the test. "Not much has changed since about half an hour ago, Senpai." Maya said, indicating to the readings in front of her. "They're sitting at about 75 percent, a drop from their reading of 125 percent against the Sixth Angel. However, that may be because of the adrenaline during the battle that caused the high sync, as well as getting used to a new Eva, and that Eva being in a production stage currently."

"Right." Ritsuko replied, noting something down. "So, when Unit-13 is in a more complete state, they should retain higher Sync Ratios?"

"Yes, Senpai." Maya replied, continuing to glance at the readings in front of her.

"Alright, Maya." Ritsuko said, turning away. Noting something else down on her notepad. She glanced down at it:

_Evangelion Unit-13: High Priority_

* * *

The room was silent, as it had been for the past month, before the large monolith with a Number 1 lit up for the first time in a month. As this happened, the other monoliths also lit up simultaneously.

"To what do we owe this meeting, Gentlemen?" 4 spoke, his voice resonating around the room.

"I must admit, I am curious about this. Why must we meet again? And so soon after we last met?" 9 said, his voice questioning in tone.

"Some developments have come to light." 1 said, his voice dripping with disdain and annoyance.

"What developments? Is this about the Sixth Angel?" 12 asked, his curiosity coming through in his tone of voice.

"No. I don't think so." 3 replied. "It seems there's more to this than we possibly thought."

"Yes." 5 said. "Unit-05 was destroyed as we predicted, but our attempt to get rid of the Proto Child failed. She lives, and has been spotted in Tokyo-3."

"That could be a problem." 8 said. "She should've never got out of the 5th Branch, we relied on her being killed in the ensuing destruction of the base."

"Maybe she should be… neutralised?" 7 asked.

"She can't." 11 said. "She'd in NERV territory now. We can't do anything to her without NERV knowing themselves."

"And we don't want NERV to know anything about our… plans." 4 said, a murmur of acknowledgement coming around the room in return.

"We can deal with the Prototype later." 1 said, directing the meeting back into place. "How goes the analysis of the Dead Sea Scrolls?"

"Fine." 9 replied. "It's been slow, but we know of all the Angels, all Seventeen of them."

"Excellent." 3 said. "What of the Thirteenth? He needs a host? We spoke of this last time, but Unit-03 has recently arrived at NERV HQ. What are we to do."

"Not to worry." 11 said. "I know that there are quite a few more Evangelions being constructed around the world. Surely one of them would be a suitable candidate?"

"More than suitable." 2 said. "I believe the plan was to use one of these Units, either 07, 08 or 09 as the vessel when the time comes?"

"Correct." 1 replied. "03 has outweighed its usefulness due to the Americans persistence on getting the Unit to NERV themselves. They want to showcase to the world exactly what they can do with Eva technology. Unfortunately for them, I'm sure the wonderful Dr. Akagi is already tweaking the machine as we speak."

"Ah yes. I'm sure she will make the machine more powerful." 5 said.

"Anything to take down the Angels quickly so we can move forwards with our genius plan." 10 said.

"Anything else?" 6 said, wondering if there was anything else of note. "What about Commander Ikari? Or the Angels themselves? Are we still on schedule?"

"Yes." 12 said. "I hear that the Seventh Angel is already heading towards Tokyo-3, and if this keeps up gentlemen, we should be one step closer to Human Instrumentality by the end of the year!"

"Is that so? We are perfectly on track for The Human Instrumentality Project then. Unit-03 is just a bonus all things considered." 2 said.

"Yes, let's just hope we have no more situations like with Unit-03. We can't afford to let Unit-04 leave the Second Branch or else our plans will be disrupted." 12 said.

"Have no fear, gentlemen, for I have been informed by our men that Unit-04 is nowhere near completion, as the arrival of the S2 Engine has severely put back the completion of that particular Unit by quite a few months. We'll be able to put our plan into action before too long." 1 said, guiding the meeting to a close. "Well gentlemen, we should not need meet again until something quite pressing comes to pass. The Proto Child being alive doesn't hinder our plans in any way possible. The Angels are on track to be completely destroyed by the end of the year. By this time next year, we will be gods' gentlemen!" Each monolith shut off one by one, until only 1 was left. The monolith stared out at the now nearly empty room, shadows of where the monoliths once were. Behind the mask of the monolith, Keel Lorenz smiled. "All is going according to plan."

* * *

"Ikari." Fuyutsuki stated, staring out at the expanse of the Geofront lying before him. "What is this about Unit-13? Dr. Akagi has mentioned it to me a couple of times now. Why do you see the need to produce a new Evangelion? We already have four Units available here, and four pilots, soon to be five. Why another one?"

"Unit-13 is different Fuyutsuki." Gendo replied, staring at the dark corner. "I'm concerned about SEELE and what they're doing. The 2nd Branch has started work on the S2 Engine, and are planning on incorporating it into Unit-04."

"You have a feeling that SEELE are going to sabotage the test?" Fuyutsuki replied, turning towards the Commander.

"Yes, they've been very quiet lately, I haven't heard from them in a while, besides the meeting after the Third Angel's attack, they've been silent."

"I wouldn't put it past the Committee to plan in secret, they probably already suspect that we're not going to be following their scenario."

"Correct. As for Unit-13, I felt it would be necessary to move forward with a Dual Entry system. Unit-13 will be different Fuyutsuki. SEELE don't know about our plans regarding the Evangelion, in fact, they don't know about Unit-13 at all. To them, the last Evangelions being produced are Units 07, 08, and 09. They've stopped all production after that point."

"Suspicious, Ikari?" Fuyutsuki said, giving the man a small smirk.

"Those men want to become gods, Fuyutsuki. They'll stop at nothing to bring about the Human Instrumentality Project and become the gods they've always wanted to be. They see humanity as a meaningless race. They only want the best for themselves and themselves alone."

"So, you want Unit-13 to be a unique Unit?"

"Yes, that is the plan for the Unit. A powerful, Dual Entry Evangelion that will be able to take on whatever SEELE will be able to throw at it. SEELE will not know about Unit-13 until the time is right."

"So, you want Unit-13 to be a secret, one that few know about?"

"Correct, Fuyutsuki." Gendo replied, continuing to stare ahead.

"I do have one question. Why Shinji and Asuka? Why pick them to pilot the Eva?" Gendo stayed silent for a moment, his mind racing with various answers to Fuyutsuki's question, before finally settling on one.

"Because that's what Yui and Kyoko would have wanted." He said simply, glancing at his Sub-Commander.

"Is that what all of this is for? For Yui and Kyoko?" Gendo didn't answer, not looking at the other man. "If this is so, then why not be a father to Shinji? Why not be an Uncle to Asuka? I'm sure that's what my students would have wanted."

"I can't be a father to Shinji, Fuyutsuki. All we ever do is hurt each other. As for Asuka? I know Yui loved the girl, but I barely knew her. Kyoko has done what she could for her already, there's no reason for me to try and get close to her."

"Well, wouldn't it hurt to try? After all, that's what Yui and Kyoko would have wanted."

"I know, Fuyutsuki." Gendo replied, his eyes closed as he sat in thought. "But I can't. Shinji and I haven't had a Father-Son relationship in years. I couldn't look after him, I've never been good at that. That was what Yui was best at. That's why I sent Shinji to live with Major Katsuragi, she would be able to be a much better guardian than I would ever be able to be."

"So, Unit-13 is a way to develop the synchronisation between Shinji and Asuka because that's what their mothers would have wanted?"

"Yui was always very vocal to Kyoko about how she would love it if Shinji and Asuka ever fell in love with each other once the two children met for the first time. Kyoko gave Yui exasperated looks every time, but you knew just by looking at her that she would love it to. Unit-13 allows our two best pilots to work together. Even if they don't fall in love, they would be very close due to their job. Above all else, this is what Yui and Kyoko would have wanted. Their children to be together again."

* * *

**September 4th, 2015**

The usual hustle and bustle of a new School Day dawned on the students of Tokyo-3 Municipal High, but there was a new buzz about the school. That being the new girl, who'd only arrived days before. So of course, the gossip was all about her.

"Hey! Dude, did you see her yet?"

"Hell, yeah I did! Oh, she's so perfect!

"Wait, who?"

"Are you an idiot? The new foreign girl!"

"Foreign girl?"

"Yep! She's transferred into the Eighth Grade, Class A! She only arrived a few days ago!"

"Oh yeah! I know about her! She's hot!"

"Her name's Asuka Langley Soryu, did you know that?"

"Yeah, she's so cute!"

"Serious question guys, since she was raised over there, but born over here. Do you think she's matured early, you know, physically?"

"Matured early? Screw that! I wonder if she has a boyfriend already!"

"No, I don't think so. You know what I think. She probably had a massive breakup in Germany, and she's arrived here in a foreign land, with a heart so black it can't be mended."

"You guys are dorks!"

"Grow up, will you!"

"Geez, you're all a bunch of perverts!"

"Don't guys ever think of anything else?"

The commotion continued all day, every single day. It was common practice to come into the hallway containing the girl's locker and find a large pile of letters, having been stomped and crumpled under the girl's intense foot.

Kensuke sighed, as the pictures continued to develop, coming out one by one. "Oh man… Have you seen all the gossip? For once it's not just us guys, the girls are gossiping too. It's about one thing. Asuka, and Asuka!"

"I hear you, Kensuke." Toji replied, sorting out the photos in front of him. There were a variety of different images of the redhead in different positions. There were multiple of her coming into the school the last couple days, surrounded by people who wanted to chat with her, or in the case of most of the female population, wanting to burn her at the stake. There were also a couple photos of her drinking at the bubbler. Many photos of her in the skimpier female athletic wear, which was very popular with the guys of the school. Photos of her at her locker, with the letters which were sent to her on the daily, whether they be declarations of love or hate letters, falling out in spades. Some photos more close up to her, showing off as much of her face as possible. Finally, some very popular photos that not only captured Asuka, but also the rest of the female students, in various stages of undress in the changing rooms. Toji and Kensuke had started this business once Asuka arrived at the school, and to be fair, they got a lot of money. 30 yen per photo was about as much as they could get away with though… Toji sighed as another happy customer payed his 30 yen. "None of these guys know what she's truly like though. They're just ignorant."

"Thank you, come again!" Kensuke said, happily handing the boy his picture, before he walked away. Toji grunted as he held the produced photos up to the sunlight.

"At least these pictures don't reveal her personality." He said, scowling at the girl's image on the photos.

"So, Jock and Nut have started a business!" Toji glanced away from the images to find Mari giving both boys a cat-like grin. "Lemme see what they're selling!"

"No need, Mari!" Kensuke replied, quickly hiding all the pictures as best as he could. Mari just laughed.

"You're hilarious, Nut. I know _exactly_ what you're selling!" Mari replied, a massive smile lining her face. "I think you'll find one particular person who'd be very annoyed that you're doing something like this. Aren't I right, Jock?" Mari asked, turning to Toji, who blushed hard, knowing exactly who she was talking about. "It'd be terrible if she were to find out, wouldn't it?" She asked, twirling her hair in her fingers.

"We'll do whatever you want us to do!" Toji replied, bowing towards the girl.

"Charming, Jock, but unnecessary." Mari replied, pulling out some cash from her pocket. "I want one!" Kensuke stared, wide eyed, his jaw dropping in surprise.

"You want one?" He asked in disbelief, Toji staring in shock behind him.

"Yes, of course!" Mari replied, picking up a shot of the girl's change rooms. "This picture captures my essence. You've really got quite a talent for photography, Nut." She continued, staring intently at the photo. "Just, maybe use it for more interesting stuff instead of perving on girls." Kensuke happily took the girls money, turning it over in his hands. Mari smiled and started walking away.

"Thanks, Mari! Come again!" Kensuke called out, causing Mari to stop, turning back to smile at them again.

"Oh, by the way!" She grinned at them. "These photos are incredibly popular among the male students. She found out, like, just now!" Mari had been glancing out of the corner of her eye, where the pony-tailed Class Rep was stomping towards the boys, a low-growl coming from her. "Bye!" Mari waved and walked away, intent on watching the spectacle from a distance.

"Suzahara!" Came the angry voice of Hikari Horaki, coming towards them quickly and swiftly.

"Ah… Hikari!" Toji replied, staring at the girl, intently. "I can explain!"

"You'd better start running, Toji!" Kensuke said, laughing at his friend, who'd quickly gotten up and started moving.

"Explain what, Suzahara! That you've been selling explicit photos of our new student, as well as occasionally, just accidently, having photos of other girls too! I swear, Suzahara! There'd better not be a photo of me somewhere in there or I! Will! End! You!" Hikari replied, rushing after the boy, intent on catching up with him and giving him a piece of her mind.

"True love, nothing can beat it." Kensuke commented, laughing at his friends' misfortune. He glanced up as Hikari pulled Toji back by the ear, letting him rest against the side of the building.

"Don't think you'll get off either Stooge! I know you're the one that took the pictures!"

"True, but see, we're making a great profit of all this!" Kensuke replied, trying hard, in vain, to somehow give their actions some sort of credibility.

"That doesn't make it better!" Hikari replied, balling her hands into fists, her hair waving around behind her, moving due to the girls' major agitation. "You both are going to go to every single student who paid you money for those pictures! You are going to pay them back for the photos! You will get every! Single! Photo! Back that you sold! You will destroy every last photo that you made! Then, at the end of the day, you will report to cleaning duty for the rest of the week! Do you understand!?"

"Yes, Class Rep! Sorry, Class Rep!" Both boys replied in tandem, quickly scrambling to move. Hikari sighed, returning to her more natural demeanour… Until she saw one Photo sitting near Toji's shoe. She growled as Toji glanced down, noticing that one photo. He gulped as the girl moved to pull on his ear all over again.

Shinji raised an eyebrow as he stepped over to the trio. "Wow, would you look at that. They got caught doing something stupid. Who here is surprised?" Shinji asked sarcastically with a good-natured smile on his face. Happy to see his two friends getting their comeuppance.

_– Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I – Track 9 – Asuka Strikes! –_

"_Hallo! Guten morgen, _Shinji!" Came the voice of Asuka Langley Soryu as she walked into the school grounds. A smile adorning her face. Shinji turned, smiling back at the girl.

"_Guten… morgen…" _Shinji replied, shakily running the words through his mouth, foreign to him.

"Hey! That was pretty good, Shinji. Just some work needed on pronunciation!" Asuka replied, happy that she was greeted in reply in her own native language.

"I… kind've just copied what you said." Shinji replied, ducking his head slightly.

"Don't look so gloomy, Shinji! The great, gorgeous Asuka Langley Soryu just praised you! Not to mention the most popular girl in school! Look a bit happier about it!" Asuka flicked Shinji's head playfully, causing the boy to smile back at her. "There, that's more like it!" She said, turning to the commotion happening before her. "What's happened here?"

Hikari frowned as she let Toji go and he collapsed to the ground. "Nothing, Asuka, just some stupid stooges doing their usual thing." She said, blushing hard. Asuka raised an eyebrow, indicating to the photos strewn across the ground.

"I can see the photos Hikari." Hikari blushed again, embarrassed that she hid something from her friend.

"I'm sorry, Asuka…" Hikari said, glaring hard at Toji.

"That's alright, Hikari." Asuka replied, turning her gaze towards Toji and Kensuke. "You two however, you're dead!" She said. She turned to Shinji flicking her gaze to the photos on the ground. "You weren't thinking of buying one, were you?" She asked teasingly, flicking his head playfully once again.

"N-no! Of c-c-course not!" Shinji replied, stammering as his face turned red. Asuka smirked right back at him, knowing exactly what he'd meant.

"Liar." She said simply, grinning as Shinji blushed more. She turned away from him and glanced out at the school grounds. "So, our little group isn't completed yet. Where's the other one?"

"U-uh. O-Other one?" Shinji replied, stammering out a response, still embarrassed that Asuka had figured him out before.

"What are you, stupid!?" Asuka replied, turning to Shinji abruptly. "You know who I'm talking about. The First Child! Our Co-Pilot!?"

"Oh, right!" Shinji replied. "You mean Rei?" Shinji said. He glanced past her, where the rather unusual girl currently sat. Relaxed against a bench, a book out in front of her. Asuka smirked and wandered over to her. She stood so that her shadow could be seen over the book Rei was reading. Rei shifted her book. Asuka moved again. Rei glanced over, wondering what was happening.

"Hello!" Asuka started cheerfully, as a crowd started to form behind the two Eva Pilots, Shinji watched from afar, Toji and Kensuke nearby. "You must be Rei Ayanami. The pilot of Unit-00, the Prototype. The First Child!" Rei continued to simply glance at the redhead, slightly wondering what was happening. "I'm Asuka! Asuka Langley Soryu! The Second Child and pilot of Unit-02! Let's be great friends!" Rei glanced back at her book, thoughts rushing through her head. They all came out to one word.

"Why?"

"Because, not only would it be convenient, it would be nice to actually know my fellow pilots."

"Okay." Rei replied, staring back down at her book. "If it pleases you."

"Great!" Asuka replied. "Are you going to come back with me? Your friends with the other pilots and those Stooges, right?"

"Yes." Rei replied, continuing to stare at her book. "But not now. I'm reading. Please leave me alone."

Asuka frowned slightly, but was mostly satisfied. 'What a weird girl…' She thought to herself as she turned and headed back towards Hikari, who had left the boys to their own devices.

"Hey Shinji?" Toji asked, indicating to the boy.

"Yeah?" Shinji replied, turning to his friend.

"Are only weirdos chosen to be pilots? You all are strange in some way." He noted. Shinji shrugged as the bell rung, signalling the beginning of class.

_– End –_

* * *

_– Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I – Track 6 – Barefoot in the Park –_

Misato usually loved her job… somewhat. But today was one of the days that she didn't like dealing with. The aftermath of an Angel attack. Reports and reports and reports on all the various damages that the Sixth Angel, Gaghiel, had caused when he attacked the fleet holding Evangelion Unit-02. The very proud captain of the Over the Rainbow, the battleship that led the fleet, had made it very known that he wasn't a fan of her plan, or anything that was going on. Misato sighed, leaning back in her chair as she thought this over. 'Well, I guess he gets to celebrate now.' She thought, as she stared at the stack of reports and damages that sat in front of her. 'He's probably gladly drinking a large beer right now. The smug jerk.' She thought, as she slowly got started on the boring and annoying part of her job.

"Wow! That's a lot of paper!" Sachiel said, hovering beside the woman.

'Oh yeah. Annoying Angel is here as well. Great!' Misato thought as she turned in her seat, facing Sachiel. "Yes, it is. It's normal stuff we have to do here at NERV, especially after an Angel has attacked. So, essentially, this is all your fault." She said, giving the Angel a smug smile, before grumbling and returning to her work.

"I resent that." Sachiel said, floating in front of the Major. Staring her in the face. "I'll have you know that we don't actually mean to destroy things."

"That's supposed to help, how?" Misato asked, raising an eyebrow at the Angel, giving him a small glare. "You still caused a lot of damage to the city, damage that I, and NERV as a whole, have to deal with."

"Yes, we did. But we didn't mean to cause all that damage." Sachiel replied.

"That doesn't change anything!" Misato replied, exasperated.

"Eh, details, details. Besides, we didn't do too much damage." Sachiel replied, giving her a smug look.

'So, he thinks he's won?' Misato thought, giving the Angel a large grin. "I beg to differ!" She said, pointing her finger at the Angel in a mock threatening way. "You caused damage to a lot of buildings, and put a young girl in the hospital. Shamshel caused damage to a lot of buildings, a mountainside, and caused my charge to run away for two days. Skeletal caused the destruction of both an Evangelion, and the 5th Branch of NERV, losing a lot of possibly valuable information, and the loss of many lives. Gaghiel caused the destruction of at least half of the United Nations Pacific Fleet, and severely maimed the majority of the rest. And don't even get me started on Ramiel, who destroyed all twenty-two layers of armour plating protecting NERV HQ, severely destroyed a segment of the city, and promptly paved the landscape, completely flattening a mountain! I'd say you all caused a lot of pretty destructive damage." Misato finished, giving the Angel a triumphant look.

"Eh. It can't have been that bad!" Sachiel said, giving Misato a thumbs up. Misato sighed, returning to her work in front of her.

"Right now, I just need to finish this load of work because god knows another one of your siblings is going to attack us any day now and that'll just give me even more reports to deal with. Can you guys just let me work for a bit? I'm sure you can hang out with Ramiel for a while." Misato said, exasperated, as the large pile of reports would only clear if she actually got to work.

"Yes." Ramiel said from her corner, moving slightly as she squirmed around, anticipation of anything happening building.

"But that's boring!" Sachiel drawled, letting the word roll out. "Besides, you know that you don't really want to be down here. Why can't we just go out and do something."

"Because, if I don't get this started now, it will build up and will only keep building as you guys keep attacking us."

"We're really good at that aren't we!"

"Yes."

"And you guys being sometimes, just a little too good at your job, has caused this mess that you see in front of you." Misato huffed as she slowly started to work through the pile of papers in front of her. Sighing and groaning in annoyance as she skimmed the work, signed it off and passed it on. About 5 minutes after she started, she leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "Being Operations Director gives me control of the situation, and knowing that the kids will mostly follow my orders gives me a bit of courage in the face of danger. But being the Operations Director comes with its challenges, like coming up with intricate plans for fighting the Angels, or taking care of my charge. But the reports and the aftermath of the battles in the city are some of the worst parts of this job. They're so boring." She said to herself, running the words around in her head as she stared at the ceiling. "God, that ceiling just feels weird." She said, flopping back down to a sitting position, facing forward. She resumed, continuing to slowly pick her way through the pile, said pile getting smaller and smaller as she went. Sachiel continued to yabber on behind her, but she droned him out and settled on finishing as quickly as possible. She groaned, settling back as she came down to a few more reports sitting in front of her. Just one small pile to go. "I wish I had a beer right now." She muttered to herself, completing forgetting about the two Angelic presences in the room.

"That's great! That means we can get out of here and go get something!" Sachiel said, flying towards Misato in happiness. Any way to get out of this annoying room was a success in Sachiel's mind.

"Yes." Ramiel agreed, letting himself float beside her brother, morphing her body in excitement.

"Alright, I guess we can go get something to drink for a little while, besides, I need to go chat to Ritsuko anyway…" Misato said, grabbing her favourite red jacket and putting it around her shoulders. She headed towards the door, hovering beside the light switch. "You coming?" She asked, giving the Angels a wink as she shut the light off, sending the room into darkness. Sachiel and Ramiel flew beside her, leaving the room with the Major, the door sliding shut behind them. They started on their path, Misato knowing exactly where she needed to go. 'I just hope I don't come back to a larger pile of reports than before.' Misato begged, thinking to herself as the doors of the lift shut behind her.

_– End –_

As the doors opened at her destination, she stepped out and glanced through the window. She paused. 'Of course…' She groaned as she stepped slowly towards the window, watching the man currently situated on the other side.

* * *

BING

The Computer changed image.

BING

The Computer came up with an image of the Sixth Angel, Gaghiel, recently defeated out at sea during the acquisition of Unit-02.

BING

The Image inverted colours, Gaghiel's core still visible in its mouth.

BING

The image was gone, replaced by Gaghiel's Blood Pattern, noted as the Sixth Angel.

"Wow! That's what I look like!" Gaghiel said, zipping around beside Ritsuko, who tried to shoo him away. "I! Look! Great!"

"Yes, that's great Gaghiel." Ritsuko replied, indicating Shamshel over to shift his brother.

"W-What a-about m-m-me?" Skeletal asked, settling quietly beside the NERV Scientist. Ritsuko smiled slightly.

"Well," She started, hitting a couple of keys and shifting changing to readings to the Eighteenth Angel, Skeletal's Readings. "Your genetic makeup is different to Gaghiel, but it's still relatively Human-like, and you are, without a doubt, an Angel.

"O-Okay…" Skeletal replied. The Angel's had decided to stay around at NERV HQ today, as the Pilots went to School as normal. Ritsuko had been dealing with Gaghiel, Skeletal and Shamshel all day, while Misato dealt with Sachiel and Ramiel. 'A much better arrangement.' Ritsuko thought as she took a sip of her coffee sitting beside her. It'd been a long day. She returned to Gaghiel's readouts, and continued to search. She couldn't hear the steps coming up behind her, so when a set of arms wrapped around her, she gasped audibly.

"Well, well. Someone's lost some weight, haven't they, Ritsu." A distinctly male, suave voice noted from behind her. Ritsuko relaxed, knowing who the man was.

"Have I? I seem to think I've gained more than you think." She asked, wondering what the man could say.

"You must be enduring some… unrequited love. Maybe I should check for you? Maybe you should… remove some of those clothes." The man said, pulling her closer.

"How are you so sure?" She asked, freezing up for a moment. A moment that the man didn't feel. The man laughed, bringing his fingers up to turn her face towards him. Ritsuko smiled slightly as Kaji came into view. "Although, you have a very tempting offer. I'm afraid the room is monitored however."

"You see… A woman that has a mole on her cheek, sitting in the pathway of her tears, is destined to a life full of tears and sorrow… Besides, I've already replaced the footage with a Dummy tape. No one will ever know." Kaji replied, in a melancholy tone. Ritsuko smirked slightly, turning her gaze to the window nearby.

"Prepared as always aren't you. But I'm afraid you've already lost. If you're trying to make a move on me, you can't." She said, directing Kaji's line of sight to the window, where Misato stood, her face scrunched in annoyance against the glass. "As you can see, there's a very scary lady up there keeping her eye on us." Kaji laughed as he pulled away, watching as Misato huffed in annoyance and stomped away from the window. Ritsuko turned in her seat, glancing at Kaji.

"So, long time no see, Kaji." She said, looking up at her old, school friend.

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" Kaji replied, taking a sip of Ritsuko's coffee sitting beside her on the desk. "And I see some things have changed since I was last here." Kaji noted, nodding towards the Angel's relaxing nearby. "I see we have some… Angelic visitors."

"Yes." Ritsuko replied, briefly indicating to the Angels. "Here we have the Fourth, Sixth and Eighteenth. The Third and Fifth are currently with the woman who's contemplating coming in here."

"Hi!" Gaghiel stated, flying up to Kaji quickly. "I'm Gaghiel!" He said, indicating to himself with a finn.

"A pleasure." Kaji replied with a flippant smile. Casually acknowledging the Angel's existence.

"Not cautious, Kaji? I would've thought in your line of work that caution was always required."

"You know me too well, Akagi." Kaji replied, relaxing against the desk.

"You actually seemed quite careless there, Kaji." Ritsuko said, as the door to the room finally opened, Misato stomping in. "What happened to being discreet?"

"That idiot's never been discreet in his life!" Misato said as she walked in, giving the man a glare as she went. She stopped, turning towards him, a scowl playing on her face. "You've finished handing over Unit-02 from Germany, so what the hell are you still doing here!? Weren't you going over to Europe or something!"

"I've been reassigned." Kaji replied, letting the cup rest against his lips, the warm drink refreshing his mouth. "Received the orders this morning. I'll be staying here at Tokyo-3 on loan. So, gorgeous, we can hang out again, the three of us, just like we used to back in college." Kaji said, directing his gorgeous comment towards Misato, who growled in annoyance.

None of them noticed the Angel's starting to glance at each other. They felt something approaching.

"Um… Misato…?" Sachiel tried saying, having floated in with Ramiel slightly after Misato

"Don't call me gorgeous! You're just wanting me to flatter you, well too bad! Those days are over, Kaji! Don't flatter yourself! I don't know why I'd ever want to hang out with you! Stop thinking you can relive the glory days! Besides, I was down here to see Ritsuko! Why are you always like this, terrorising Rits!?" Misato said, glaring hard at the man across from her.

"Please, you two. Take this outside." Ritsuko said continuing to work.

"I'd have to say it's my prerogative. A way of life. Besides, why would you be so angry. What do you have to be angry about?" Kaji asked, hands in his pockets, an eyebrow raised. "You said there was nothing more between us. Unless…" Kaji smirked, his usual lady-killer as he liked to think of it. "This anger and aggression is all an act, and you still have feelings for me." Misato glared hard at Kaji, an aggressive scowl on her face. She moved quickly, punching the wall right beside Kaji's head.

"Fuck you!" She cried out as she did it, creating a decent hole in the wall. She groaned in agony, resting down against the wall. "I was young!" She said, staring up at him. "It was worst mistake in my entire life, going out with you." Kaji smiled down at her.

"Don't be so upset, gorgeous. Why… you'll stain that pretty face of yours with wrinkles." Misato blanched, turning around quickly.

"W-What? W-What are you… Just… Shut Up!" As Misato finished her tirade the alarms starting blaring red all around NERV HQ, the walls lighting up with Emergency signals. "An enemy attack!? Now!?" Misato cried out, quickly moving out of the room, cell in hand. "Alert the pilots! Get me a status report as soon as I arrive at Central Dogma!" Misato quickly shut the phone off, rushing towards Central Dogma.

Kaji stared after her as she left. A wistful smile on his face.

"She'll come around, Kaji. That was pure jealousy coming from her." Ritsuko said, patting to man's shoulder.

"Really? Are you so sure?" Kaji replied, shrugging slightly.

"I'm sure. Better go up to Central Dogma, better being there than here." Kaji nodded, turning to the Angels.

"What about them?" He simply asked, pointing over at the Angels.

"We'll find our pilots, make sure they're ready for battle against one of our brothers."

"Any idea who it is?" Ritsuko asked, turning towards them, kneeling slightly. The four siblings turned to each other.

"Israfel."

* * *

The doors to Central Dogma opened quickly, Misato rushing into the room as Maya Ibuki continued evacuation prep. Makoto Hyuga sat in the middle, running data in front of him. Shigeru Aoba sat to the left, receiving reports.

"Major, glad to see you've arrived." Fuyutsuki said, standing nearby. Misato simply nodded, stepping into her role quickly.

"Aoba, give me a Status report!"

"Report just received from the patrolling battleship Haruna. A huge, unidentified, submerged object has just been detected off Ki'I peninsula. Sending data."

"Roger! Hyuga, give me some good news!"

"Data has been received and collated ma'am." Makoto replied, bringing up the analysed data on the visual monitor. "Wavelength Pattern Blue, target confirmed as the Seventh Angel."

"Brilliant." Misato muttered to herself. "All personnel, prepare for battle stations, Level One. We have an Angel on our hands!"

"Major, we can't possibly tackle the Angel inside Tokyo-3! The battle against the Fifth Angel destroyed nearly all weapons' facilities! And the Armour Plates protecting NERV HQ are still in reconstruction, we only have 10 layers!" Maya stated, turning quickly towards the Major.

"Don't worry, I have a plan!" Misato replied, a large grin on her face.

* * *

'_Mein gott, _School is boring.' Asuka thought as her head rested on her desk, trying her hardest to stay awake throughout the spiel about Second Impact currently being told to the class by their Sensei. '_Ernsthaft? Lehrt dieser kerl nicht jemals etwas anderes?_' She thought in her native language as her eyes started to droop slowly. She shook her head, clearing her mind and forcing herself to stay awake. She took the time to glance around the classroom, wondering what her friends were doing. Rei, her newest friend, and someone she'd only just met that day, was currently staring out the window. Shinji had mentioned that the girl tends to do this throughout the school day, and it wasn't really unusual at all. She wondered whether Rei was focussed on something or just staring out at the city itself.

She next turned her attention to Mari, who was very visibly fast asleep at her desk, not hiding the fact that she was asleep in any way shape or form. Asuka snorted quietly. 'Of course, Mari would be the one to fall asleep with no thoughts or concerns.' Asuka continued on her viewing of her friends, next glancing over at the Class Representative, and her best friend.

Hikari was at least trying to pay attention, but Asuka knew that, just by looking at her friend, she was just as bored as the rest of them. The brunette was just much better at hiding it than everyone else in the classroom, so to anyone watching her, she was listening to Sensei intently and paying complete attention. Anyone who knew her however knew that she was so close to falling asleep as well.

The three stooges were in varying stages of boredom. Kensuke was fooling around on his laptop, being as quiet as he possibly could, so he wouldn't get caught by Sensei. 'Not that he needs to worry about that. This sensei isn't very good at keeping tabs on his class…' She always felt a bit uncomfortable around the boy, and she had an idea why. His antics earlier that day had firmly confirmed her suspicions of him, and she was just fine with leaving the Military Nut to his own devices.

Toji was doing about as good of a job at hiding his boredom as Mari was. Meaning, he wasn't really putting in much effort at all. He was awake still, so that was one step above Mari, but not by much. As she watched him, his eyes slowly drooped shut, and he slumped forward slowly onto his desk. Sleep coming across the jock. '_Was für ein idiot...'_ She thought as her attention moved to the last of her friends. Shinji.

Shinji wasn't doing much better in her eyes. He was still awake, but he had already given up with his laptop, and was slowly drifting off to sleep himself. Asuka smiled slightly, knowing that the boy was trying so hard to stay awake. She thought to herself for a moment, an idea coming to her head.

Shinji blinked as his laptop was brightly flashing at him. He groaned glancing up, realising that he had a message, he opened it soon after, raising an eyebrow as he saw who it was:

_Asuka: Hey, _Dummkopf. _If you stay like that Sensei will catch you!  
__Shinji: What-? Asuka?  
__Asuka: Yeah, it's me. Just thought I'd keep you from falling asleep to this fossil.  
__Shinji: Right. Of course. What about Mari and Toji? They're both fast asleep?  
__Asuka: Eh, they can be alerted to attention by the bell or Sensei catching them. I don't particularly care.  
__Shinji: You could try and be nicer to them, Asuka.  
__Asuka: Don't worry, Shinji. I'll be nice to them, Mari's just weird, but I can be nice to her. As for Toji, he's got to learn not to just take photos of me like that! So, I'm going to give him shit for a few days, but then I'll stop and be nicer to him.  
__Shinji: That's fair, I guess… I suppose that means you'll be giving the same treatment to Kensuke?  
__Asuka: Yep! But even worse cause he was the one who started the business. Toji kind've just followed along, so I'll give him even worse!  
__Shinji: So, you excited to be in Tokyo-3?  
__Asuka: Don't try and change the subject so fast, Third! I still know you were planning on buying one of those photos of me!_

Asuka glanced over at the boy in question after her comment, she laughed to herself as the boy started to blush heavily. 'Point to Asuka.' She thought to herself as she returned to her keyboard.

_Asuka: Ha-ha! You should see your face, Shinji! You're so red, you're like a tomato!  
_ _Shinji: I wasn't, Asuka! I wasn't going to buy one!  
_ _Asuka: Why, Shinji? Embarrassed of someone finding out about it? Embarrassed to see my body?  
_ _Shinji: What!?  
_ _Asuka: You're so easy, Ikari. You should still see the look on your face. I'm not going to do anything bad. Much.  
_ _Shinji: That doesn't help things.  
_ _Asuka: And it shouldn't! I don't particularly care if you got one of those pictures, because I know you wouldn't do anything indecent with it! Not unlike those other boys…  
_ _Shinji: How do you know that?_

Silence

_Shinji: Asuka?  
__Asuka: Was I wrong, Third?  
__Shinji: Wrong? About what?  
__Asuka: Telling you that I didn't care if you got one of those photos. _Oh gott! _Where you going to use my photos to please yourself!  
__Shinji: What!? No! I was just going to keep it… because…  
__Asuka: Don't even try and worm out of this one, Third! Oh, this is gold! You wanted one of those photos of me for your own reasons!_

Shinji glanced up from the screen, glancing over at Asuka, who was currently giving him a rather feral grin. A large smile on her face. Shinji blushed hard, tearing his eyes away from the girl. Asuka laughed, revelling in the feeling. She felt happy that she was accepted. 'Yes, it feels good.' She thought, smiling to herself at the feeling.

It was cut off by the Angel alarm blaring all over the city. Asuka frowned as the Sensei finally looked away from the board, turning to the class before him. "Oh, is that?" He started, as Hikari immediately took to her job as Class Rep.

"Everyone, heading towards the Shelters immediately! You four!" She pointed at Shinji, Asuka, Rei and Mari. "Get to NERV as soon as possible! And please, take out this thing quickly so we aren't cooped up for hours!"

"Got it, Hikari!" Asuka replied, as she quickly gathered her things and headed for the door, Shinji, Rei and Mari on her heels. The majority of the class split from the pilots, heading towards the nearest shelter, while the pilots hot foot it to NERV HQ." Asuka glanced at Shinji as they ran, giving him a small smile. "Oh, by the way, Shinji?" Shinji glanced up, confusion on his face.

"Yeah?" He asked, wondering what the redhead would say.

"At no point did I say that I cared about it. Because I still don't." She gave him a smile, watching with satisfaction as his face turned red. She laughed as they continued their run, heading quickly and swiftly towards the Geofront. Rei and Mari simply looked at them in confusion.

"What was that all about?" Mari asked, watching the two pilots start to bicker, Shinji barely getting any words out.

"I don't know." Rei replied, as soft as ever. "It seems that Pilots Ikari and Soryu get enjoyment out of… quarrelling with each other." The girl stated, as they arrived at NERV HQ very quickly.

"Enjoyment huh?" Mari drawled, glancing at the said pilots with a wide smirk. "This opens up many teasing opportunities!" She cackled with laughter. Rei glanced at her, slight confusion in her features, but otherwise stayed silent, as they, one by one, swiped their ID's and entered the giant pyramid.

Miles away, a giant being stepped slowly onto shore.

_Wow! Look, what a beautiful city! Just a shame we've got to destroy it really!_

_I wonder, brother, should we entertain these people?_

_I say we shall, sister! Got any genius ideas?_

_Give me a moment, I'll be able to come up with something legendary!_

_Will it be able to ignite excitement and cause a lot of happy feelings?_

_For sure!_

_Excellent!_

The being was massive, and like Sachiel, looked vaguely humanlike. Like it's brother, it also had a face-mask, this time looking like a yin-yang symbol, sitting firmly in the middle of its upper body. The body was mostly a black colour, with a greyer colour on the top, and bottom. Its main body was large, but it's arms and legs were actually quite thin, both the arms and legs ended in small, three fingered patterns, with the arms being razor sharp. (_For extra hilarity!_) It stared at the city ahead, content on its purpose.

Israfel had arrived.

* * *

_– Evangelion 1.0 OST – Track 35 – EM20_Rhythm_Full –_

"Good, you're all here! Listen up, and listen carefully!" Misato said, as soon as all four children arrived in Central Dogma, wearing their usual plugsuits. Mari was, for the first time, wearing her plugsuit. Mainly a pink colour, with white bands crossing her chest, stopping in the middle. There was a large 08 sitting in the middle of her plugsuit, a symbol of her Evangelion Unit. "The target has been spotted just outside of the city itself. Unlike with previous Angels, we'll be engaging it outside the city limits, so prepare yourself for a possibly tough battle. It's just surfaced from the water at a nearby beach, and is moving quite slowly towards Tokyo-3." As the Major spoke, the large main screen flipped through various screens, showing the Angel's current location, a large-scale map of the surrounding area, and satellite footage of the Angel itself. "Shinji, Asuka! We'll be deploying Unit-01 and Unit-02 to intercept the target, take care of the Angel quickly, so we can all go home safe again! Understood?"

"Roger!" Came both Shinji and Asuka's reply, giving the Major a hard, but determined look.

"Miso! What about us?" Mari asked, pointing between herself and Rei.

"Good question! Rei, you will be waiting standby inside Unit-00. We will not launch you unless we absolutely have to, and the Angel gets into the city. The reason for this is Unit-00 is still not combat ready, while Unit-01 and Unit-02 are, despite Unit-02 still needing some patch-up work after Gaghiel! Is that Understood, Rei?"

"Yes." She replied, her hands hanging by her sides.

"Yay! I did that!" Gaghiel said, causing Asuka to swat at him. He laughed as he zipped out of the way.

"Not exactly something to be proud off, Gaghiel." Misato reprimanded, before turning to Mari. "Mari, we'll be keeping you here. If we need you to, we'll launch you in Unit-01 once we get both Units back to help Rei if the need arises. Just know that we won't necessarily be launching you much until you receive your own Evangelion. Which we don't have a mark on yet."

"Why not have me set in Unit-03?" Mari replied, giving the Major a confused look.

"Unit-03 is not ready for combat yet." Ritsuko said, as she stood at the side. "There's still a few things I need to check, and even then, as your plugsuit indicated, Unit-03 isn't even your Eva."

"Right, of course." Mari replied, rolling her eyes. "Spoil sport." She muttered, returning her full attention to Misato.

"That's all I will say right now! I'll tell you the plan of attack as we head towards the target's destination. Shinji, Asuka! Unit-01 and Unit-02 are already hooked up to the jets. Go get in and get ready to go!"

"Roger!" Shinji and Asuka said, bolting from the room, leaving Central Dogma together.

"Rei, go get into Unit-00 and wait. We may not need to launch you but we wanted you ready just in case."

"Understood." Rei replied, heading out towards the Eva Cages.

"Mari, wait here with me. You'll stay here while a few of us go out there in a remote station. You must be ready to launch if the need arises."

"Of course, Miso!" Mari said, giving the Major a salute.

"Excellent!" Misato replied, turning towards the door. "Maya, Makoto! You're with me!"

"Roger that, Major!" Came the voices of both Maya and Makoto, heading out of Central Dogma with the Major.

"Shigeru! Stay here and keep tabs on the Angel! Let me know if anything happens!"

"Of course, Major!" Shigeru replied, his eyes not leaving his station.

"Excellent! Alright, let's go take care of an Angel!" Misato finished, a firm grin on her face.

_– End –_

* * *

_– Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I – Track 14 – A Step Forward into Terror –_

The remains of Ramiel's crystalline body stood proud in the glowing sun as a series of Jets quickly flew by overhead. Their cargo? Evangelion Unit-01 and Unit-02, en route towards the location of the Seventh Angel, Israfel, who had arrived on the shores only mere minutes before. In another jet, a mobile command centre flew towards the Angel, Misato and a few techs inside, relaying information.

"Alright kids, listen carefully! The battle against Ramiel severely damaged Tokyo-3's intercept system. As of this time, only 26% of our defence capabilities have been restored. Finally, and this is on you two, our operational capability for the Eva's in actual combat are virtually nil. Therefore, we're going to use this plan! We'll intercept the target at the water's edge and crush it in one swift blow, just before it hits land. Unit-01 and Unit-02 will mount a coordinated attack on the target in waves, taking turns to attack the Angel. Closing in and protecting each other. Understood?"

"Roger!" Came Shinji and Asuka's reply from their cockpits, glancing out towards the shoreline.

"Rei! You'll standby inside Unit-00 in Tokyo-3 itself, if the Angel manages to get past Shinji and Asuka, you'll have to take care of it. We'll get Mari out in Unit-01 as soon as we possibly can!"

"Understood." Came Rei's quiet reply.

"Great! Pilots, move out!" Came Misato's final call, shutting off the comms.

"Don't worry Misato! I'll take care of the Angel quickly and swiftly!" Asuka said, beaming happily in the cockpit.

"Could you be any happier? Here comes Personality #2, just how many do you have?" Shinji rhetorically asked.

"I heard that!" Asuka growled, as she flexed her fingers in her Eva. "My first fight in Japan and Misato won't even let me handle it solo? Why'd she send you with me again?" She asked Shinji, bringing up a video feed to Unit-01, where Shinji sat giving her a small smile.

"Maybe it's because that's what Misato's strategy was?" Shinji replied, raising his eyebrow. "That's just procedure, you can't argue with that." Asuka growled slightly, forming something in her head.

"Fine, whatever. Let me tell you something though, Shinji. This fight is mine! This will be my first win in Japan! _Bleiben sei mir aus dem weg!_"

"I still don't know what you're saying." Shinji bluntly said, causing Asuka to frown at him.

"Stay out of my way, Third." She finally said, shutting off the video feed. "Geez, as much as he's my rival, how the hell did he get picked to pilot anyway." She wondered to herself, as she felt the Eva's holdings shift, sending Unit-02 out of place and into freefall towards the ground.

_What's that, sister?_

_Must be the welcoming party!_

_Whoo! Partay!_

"She's certainly prideful." Shinji commented, as Unit-01 was also shifted out of its locks and into freefall.

"She'll either be a really good asset, or get us all killed." Sachiel said, watching as Unit-02 rushed quickly towards the ground, landing in a crouched position. Shinji landed soon after, the two Evangelions crouched on the shoreline side-by-side. Both stood in tandem, grabbing the Umbilical Cords nearby and plugging them neatly into the backs of the giant mechs. They finally stood, ready for battle.

"Really? Two against one? Come on, this is hardly a fair fight!" Asuka said, staring out at Israfel, who stared back at them.

_Oh boy! There's two of them, brother!_

_Let's give them something to remember us by!_

"Really, Asuka? We have the case of life or death on our hands and you're going on about not having a fair fight?" Misato said, coming up on call. "We don't have a choice here, Asuka. This is about our survival, and anything we can do to get a lead on that is all good for me."

Suddenly a large splash of water rose from the usually calm sea. Unit-01 stood, Pallet Rifle in hand, staring the target down. Shinji had no intentions on approaching the target unless he absolutely had to. Asuka on the other hand, had other ideas, she had taken a Progressive Spear with her, so was ready to charge the Angel with Unit-02. She smirked as she watched the shore.

"_Kommen sie und holen sie es!_" Asuka said, staring the target down, as the water splashed once again.

"Here it comes! Any idea who it is?" Shinji asked the Angels, as a large figure emerged from the water.

_Hello there fellow beings! To what do we owe your acquaintance!_

_Uh, brother? Those things are holding what look like weapons._

_You're right, sister! Want to give them a nasty surprise!_

_It's our best prank!_

Israfel rose quickly out of the water, rising high into the air, the water it had brought up raining down around it as it landed, splashing more water around. It watched them through its yin-yang face. Waiting.

"Commence attack!" Misato called, a growl in her voice.

"That's definitely Israfel!" Shamshel said, worryingly. "I'd be careful, Shinji!"

"Why? What's up with him that's different?"

"It." Sachiel said. "And let's just say that they aren't all they seem."

"They?" Shinji replied, staring at the Angel hard.

"Why do you sound so worried, Shinji!" Asuka said from Unit-02. "You just watch from there and back me up! I'm going to go and snag my Angel kill! Wish me luck!"

"Wish you luck? Back you up? Wait on a second! We're in this together!" Shinji replied, challenge in his eyes.

"Haven't you ever heard of Ladies first, Shinji!?" Asuka replied, moving Unit-02 ever closer towards the Angel. It still hadn't moved.

"That doesn't mean you can boss me around and give me orders! Don't forget, you're the one who's still the most inexperienced in battle here!" Shinji replied, starting to fire hard on the Angel. Throughout this conversation, Israfel still didn't move.

"What are they doing?" Shamshel said from Shinji's cockpit, questioning in his eyes.

Shinji continued to provide fire towards Israfel, who simply stood and took all the hits.

_That tickles! Don't you agree, sister?_

_We could use this for a brilliant prank!_

Asuka had stopped slightly, crouching in Unit-02. "There's only one way to go about this." She muttered to herself, fingering the Spear in Unit-02's hand.

"What's that, Asuka?" Gaghiel asked, floating slightly beside her.

"It's quite simple." Asuka replied, getting ready to sprint. "_BERECHNEN!_"

Shinji continued to fire, staring intently at the Angel. He noticed that the usual single red core was actually split into two. 'Wait? It has two cores!' Shinji suddenly ditched the Pallet Gun. "Shamshel!"

"Right!" Shamshel replied, diving into the Eva's core immediately, Unit-01 grew Sachiel's laser ships, and started running towards Unit-02.

"Wait! Asuka! There's more to this than you think!" Unit-02 didn't listen, continuing to run full pelt towards the Angel, who continued to stare. To emphasize it's point further, it glanced it's head up.

_Hey look, it's blocking out the sun!_

_We should move…_

_That was not part of the plan!_

Asuka gave a giant battle cry as she came down quickly, bringing her spear up and over her head, and coming down hard on Israfel. "Looking good!" She cried out as the Spear came down on Israfel's head, slicing cleanly through the body, splitting it right down the middle. Unit-02 stomped hard on the ground, standing in front of the clearly defeated Angel.

_– End –_

Unit-01 skidded to a stop, glancing up at Unit-02. Shinji simply sat, wide eyed, staring out at the supposedly dead Angel. "Well, I'll be damned."

"Beautiful, Asuka! Excellent shot!" Misato praised from the mobile command centre, a large smile on her face.

"You see that, Third Child." Asuka said, bringing up Unit-01's video feed once again. "An example of a good fight. Clean and elegant, without waste."

"You really believe that, don't you?" Shinji commented, causing Asuka to smirk at him. 'But wait, shouldn't it be exploding right now.' He thought. 'This felt a little too easy.'

"Guys, watch out!" Sachiel called, pointing out towards the Angel.

It was twitching.

"Wait! Asuka! It's still moving!" Shinji cried out.

_– Neon Genesis Evangelion OST II – Track 5 – Angel Attack II –_

"_Schiesse!_" Asuka said, watching as the Angel quickly shifted, splitting into two forms, staring intently at its two opponents. It twisted and turned, an annoying grinding sound occurring as it happened. The Angel shed its skin, revealing two identical beings, staring right at them. One Gold, One Silver.

_Ha-ha! Did you like our party trick!_

_See that sister, that's our cue to take back control!_

"What the hell! Oh, come on! What a load of bullshit!" Misato cried out, annoyance on her features, the phone she was holding creaking under the pressure she applying to it.

Asuka stared out at the now dual Angel, staring back at her. "All I wanted was a fair fight dammit!" Asuka cried out, standing right in the Angel's line of fire.

"Keep your head on, Asuka! Watch for any sudden movements!" Misato said, relaying information from the base. "Rei! Be prepared to engage the target, but stay where you are."

"Right." Rei replied, from Unit-00's cockpit. 'What is happening… to my friends?' She thought, as she heard the sounds of battle through the connected comline.

"So that's why it had two cores!" Shinji shouted, running towards the Gold Angel. "Sachiel, go help Asuka!" Shinji said, watching as Silver approached Unit-02 quickly. Shinji pulled his Progressive Knife, ready to attack. Sachiel nodded quickly zipping out of Unit-01 and phasing towards Unit-02.

"Gah! What are you doing here!?" Asuka cried out, as Silver continued to approach.

"I'm here to help you!" Sachiel replied, diving into the Eva's core. Asuka grinned as she felt her Eva's arms burn with powerful energy. Silver chose this moment to attack, bearing her razor-sharp claws forward to rush the Red Eva. Asuka grinned, using the Spear to block the attack. Using Sachiel's arm beams, she fired one straight through Silver's arm.

_Ow! That hurt! Brother, this one's attacking me!_

_You can regenerate at will!_

_Right, I forgot!_

Silver reformed its arm, returning to staring down Unit-02.

"What the hell! You can't do that!"

"You'll find we can, Asuka! Watch out!" Gaghiel called, as Silver brought it's claws down towards Unit-02. Asuka growled as she kicked the Angel off, glancing over at Unit-01 briefly.

Unit-01 parried Gold's attacks, aiming Shamshel's tentacle beams towards the Angel's core. It pierced around it, before finally impacting the core itself. "Yes!" Shinji cried, turning away from the Angel.

"No." Ramiel called from behind him, Shinji turned back around. Gold's core had healed.

"Dammit! What the hell is with these guys!?" Shinji asked, grabbing the discarded Pallet Rifle once again.

"Asuka! Aim for the core!" Gaghiel said, flittering around haphazardly.

"Yeah! Yeah! I know what I'm doing Gaghiel!" Asuka replied, swinging the spear around and impacting Silver's core, sending a single arm beam through afterwards to increase the damage.

_You guys haven't learned yet!_

_That's another one of our magic tricks!_

"_Verdammt! _It must have some sort of reflex healing system! Now what do we do!?" Asuka cried out, a growl on her face.

"I don't know!" Shinji replied, twisting around quickly, using Shamshel's tentacles to keep Gold at bay. "I can't keep this up much longer! It's coming closer!"

"Use Ramiel!" Asuka replied, her face clouded with worry.

"I can't!" Shinji replied, as he used the Pallet Rifle to parry Gold's attack. "It takes too long to Charge! Ahhhh!" Shinji said, dropping slightly as Gold picked up Unit-01, his razor-sharp claws buried deep into Unit-01's shoulders.

"Shinji!" Asuka cried out, turning Unit-02 to immediately head towards Shinji's location.

_I won't let you get away!_

Silver took this opportunity to grab Unit-02 from behind, digging it's claws deep into its chest. "Ah! Let me go!" Asuka shouted, twisting in Silver's grasp. As one, both halves lifted the Evangelions above their heads, and threw them swiftly away as one movement, sending both Evangelions flying through the air. Both Units collided in mid-air, sending both tumbling towards the ground. They collapsed in a heap, a giant dust cloud forming at the Eva's feet. Both pilots groaned from inside the Eva's, the collision causing both Sachiel and Shamshel to be forcefully ejected from the Eva's core. Misato stared, shocked.

_– End –_

"Send in the JSSDF. Get the Eva's out of there! Get the Pilots out and to the nearest NERV conference room! Transfer all command to the United Nations Secondary Force!" Misato growled in frustration. She felt so stupid, and disgusted.

She watched as the Eva's were picked up and transported from the area, as the JSSDF forces closed in and dropped an N2 mine on the target. Once the explosion cleared, the Angels were left standing, frozen, but still alive. She glanced down towards Makoto.

"Hyuga, what's the status on the target?"

"Pattern Blue still exists, ma'am. The target is still active." Misato sighed, pinching her head as she collapsed to the floor.

"Just how are we going to defeat that?"

Israfel stood in the middle of the shore, water to its knees, still split into two halves. Unmoving, but alive.

* * *

The mood was sour as the screen in the conference room showed the status of the battle that had just taken place. Shinji and Asuka sat, Plugsuit clad, at the very front of the small room, with Misato, Ritsuko and Kaji sitting behind them, mixtures of frustration and embarrassment on their faces. Gendo and Fuyutsuki stood at the back of the room, stern as always, pure anger on their faces. Rei and Mari stood waiting at the back of the room, not knowing what was going to happen between their fellow pilots. One thing stood out in both Shinji and Asuka's minds. 'I'm so embarrassed.'

Sitting off to the side, controlling the screen in front of them, was Maya Ibuki, who was relaying the information for the current meeting, and keeping everyone up to speed on what had happened. "Today, at 10:58:15 AM, Evangelion Unit-01 was attacked by one of the targets, nicknamed Alpha, who had split off from the other target, nicknamed Beta. Targets Alpha and Beta coordinated a simultaneous attack on both Evangelion Unit-01 and Unit-02. All movements from both Evangelions ceased function immediately. I believe the Head of Project E, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, summed it up best:"

"This is absolutely pathetic!" Came Ritsuko's recorded voice, embarrassment laced all through the woman's voice. Misato continued to watch, embarrassment in her features. Asuka growled as she saw the downed forms of Evangelion Unit-01 and Unit-02 on the screen, jumping up immediately to get her point out.

"Third Child! This is all your fault, you totally screwed up my debut battle in Japan! It was supposed to be great!" Asuka said, stalking towards the Third Child, watching as he started to get pissed off right back. She didn't back down as Shinji stood up himself, causing the two Children to stare daggers at each other, their body movements threatening to take the other down. Shinji stepped towards Asuka, causing her to reflexively take a step back with every step Shinji took.

"What the hell are you talking about!? How the hell is it my fault!?"

"It's pretty obvious really. Why, you were the slowpoke. You got caught by the Angel!"

"What!? And you weren't!?"

"No! Because I couldn't concentrate while you were getting caught by the Angel!"

"Couldn't concentrate!? You were the one who decided the plan of attack was to charge the Angel with no other idea of literally anything that could happen! You were reckless!" Asuka growled, stepping towards her opponent again, so they were mere centimetres apart, staring each other down.

"Reckless! Are you calling me a _Dummkopf!?_ Where do you go about calling me that you pathetic excuse for a combat pilot! You absolute jerk!"

"Me! A jerk! You're the one who got us into this mess because you wanted to rush things and take out the Angel as quickly as possible! There's a difference between showing off and following procedure! Also, I'm the one with more experience here!"

"More experience! Ha! Don't make me laugh, Third! Look at Unit-01, why it looks like a drowned rat! How lame is that!" Asuka replied, pointing her gloved hand towards Unit-01 on the screen.

"You think you can talk to me like that! Unit-02 isn't looking much better!" Shinji retaliated, pointing his own hand towards Unit-02's downed form.

"I can talk to you however I want to talk to you!"

"At 11:03 AM," Maya continued, ignoring the ongoing argument between NERV's best pilots. "NERV abandoned the operation completely and handed command over to the United Nations Secondary Force." Shinji and Asuka stopped arguing for a moment and turned back towards the monitor. The screen had changed to show a fleet of UN Jets heading towards the Angel.

"We've been completely humiliated." Fuyutsuki gruffly stated.

Misato sat, finally speaking for the first time. "I'm… sorry."

'As much as I don't like him,' Shinji thought, as his attention was on the monitor. 'I didn't want my father to see me like that.' Shinji and Asuka were now both feeling quite disappointed with themselves.

"At 11:05 AM, UN forces attacked the target by dropping an N2 mine." Maya continued, not looking up from her laptop in front of her.

"You all know what this means, don't you?" Fuyutsuki said, "We'll have to completely redraw the map. Devise a new strategy."

"The N2 mine successfully succeeded in burning off 28% of the Angel's structural substance." Maya said, as the feed showed the Angel's currently dormant form. Target data was identified as 7a for Gold, and 7b for Silver. The screen noted this was information from the Department of Investigation, Division 2. Part of NERV's Scientific Investigation branch. Asuka glanced closely at the Angel.

"So, did we kill it?" She asked, turning towards the adults.

"No," Gendo said, his cold voice flying through the room. "It has simply immobilised them. A second attack will only take a matter of time."

"Well," Kaji said, twisting around slightly in his seat. "Look on the bright side, at least we have some time to regroup, you really can't ask for any more than that." Gendo paid Kaji no mind, continuing to focus on the pilots in front of him.

"You two." Shinji and Asuka stood to attention, staring at the Commander of NERV, who was currently giving them a very frustrated look. "What do you think your job here at NERV is?"

"To pilot the Eva…" Asuka said slowly, worry and shock in her voice.

"No." Gendo calmly stated, a cold disposition in his voice betraying his anger. "Your job is to defeat the Angels." Gendo stood, glaring down at the pilots. "NERV does not condone this sort of behaviour. We don't need any negative attention. Therefore, you two will learn how to cooperate. That is all. Come, Rei." Gendo turned and stalked out of the room, the First Child giving her friends a sad look, before following the Commander obediently.

"Work together!" Both Shinji and Asuka said, returning to staring each other down, getting as much into the other's space as they possibly could. "Why should we!?"

"Enough of this." Fuyutsuki said, leaving the room as well. As soon as the Sub-Commander had gone, the lights in the room returned, the main screen turning off. Asuka growled, stomping Shinji's foot as hard as she could. Shinji let out a massive help, hopping around on one foot as Asuka glared hard at him.

"Ow! Shit! What the hell was that for!?" Shinji asked, massaging his foot with his hand. "Geez, the Commanders leave for two seconds and suddenly you ambush me!"

"_Halt den mund! _Your actions caused the Commander to yell at me! Not only that, but he looked at me with such contempt! How am I supposed to be the best when not even the Commander cares!" Asuka huffed and sat down again, grumbling under her breath. "Why is everyone so touchy here?" She asked, causing Misato to give her a look.

"It's because adults like us hate not having credibility. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a large pile of reports to take care of because of your recklessness." She said, directing the comment towards the children, before getting up and leaving.

"Well, that was fun wasn't it!" Kaji said, as he got up to intervene before the two pilots got into another squabble. He patted Shinji on the back, and gave Asuka a smile. "We don't need any more of your squabbling right now, don't we?"

"Oh no! Of course not, Kaji!" Asuka said, switching modes immediately back to happy schoolgirl.

"Look at that, there's the quick change again." Shinji muttered to himself, as Mari came down the banister.

"Mari! Just who I was looking for! You'll be able to help me keep these two out of trouble, right?" Kaji said, as Mari wondered down the staircase, her Plugsuit still on, despite not getting into an Eva during the mornings events.

"Of course, I can Kaji! These two won't get into any trouble with me around!" Shinji and Asuka both gave Mari a small glare as Kaji laughed to himself.

"Well, why don't you go get showered and changed, grab all your Angelic buddies, and we'll go get some Lunch. What do you say?"

"Oh, Kaji! I would love to go out with you!" Asuka said, clinging on to Kaji arm with a large smile on her face. Kaji wrapped an arm around Shinji's shoulders, leading the three children out of the room.

"Say, Kaji. Where'd Misato go? Why not wait until she gets back from wherever she is?"

"Oh, I'm afraid that she most likely won't be getting any food soon. She's got to go do some cleaning up. As she's the one in charge, she's got to take care of that responsibility, taking the heat in a sense." Kaji laughed as he led the three children to the change rooms, where they all ducked in quickly and got to work getting showered and changed into more suitable clothes for a meal together. Which meant their uniforms, as they had nothing else on them.

Meeting the Children with the Angels outside NERV HQ, Kaji drove the small group of three pilots, (Minus Rei, due to Commander Ikari's call), to a small joint on the outskirts of Tokyo-3. They all ordered quickly, Shinji getting a bowl of Ramen, with many Vegetables. Mari got herself a plate of Chicken with Chips and Vegetables. Asuka got herself a nice red Steak, with Chips and Vegetables. Kaji settled on simply a drink, due to having a lot to eat earlier. Whenever they could, the Angels popped out and ate whatever they could from their Pilots plates.

Mari started the conversation, directing it towards Asuka. "So, Asuka, that wasn't exactly the performance you wanted, was it?"

"Of course, it wasn't!" Asuka aggressively replied, stabbing her Steak with her fork as Shinji used his chopsticks beside her. "That wasn't an accurate representation of my abilities at all!" She said, stuffing the piece of Steak in her mouth and chewing down. "Besides, I don't know about how Shinji felt…"

"Yeah, yeah. I have no talent at all. You made it clear…" Shinji said, idly eating his Ramen, not really caring about the conversation at hand.

"Don't put yourself down, Shinji!" Mari said. "Neither of you were bad at all!"

"Yeah!" Sachiel said, slurping some of Shinji's ramen. "Israfel is tough, and they completely got the jump on you guys, it was totally understandable."

"The Angel has a point." Kaji said, taking a sip of his drink. "You don't need to get so upset. The battle isn't over yet. The Angel isn't defeated yet. Unit-01 and Unit-02 will get repairs and you'll be able to get back out there and take it on again. You'll have the upper hand next time, I'm sure of it." Kaji said, winking at the two children.

"Thanks, Kaji." Shinji said, giving the man a slight smile.

"No problem, Shinji. Now, I think you guys should finish up soon, I've got to get you guys back to school at a decent time."

* * *

_– Neon Genesis Evangelion OST I – Track 7 – Ritsuko –_

Misato scowled as she inspected the pile of reports on her desk. Earlier that day she had significantly lowered her workload to only a small pile of reports. In the time that Israfel attacked, the subsequent defeat of Evangelion Unit-01 and Unit-02, and the conference afterwards showcasing the results of the defeat, the reports on her desk had piled up above her chest, and had completely covered the desk, not a single part of it could be seen.

Ritsuko chuckled as she entered the room, noticing her friends distinct scowl. "Well, here are all the internal protests and damage reports from the Angel's attack, and if you're concerned, here's a bill from the UN. Oh! You've also got a complaint from the PR department as well! I hope you have fun reading them all! As they all need to be read through."

"I don't have to read them all, I already know what they're all going to say." Misato replied, taking the bill from Ritsuko and tossing it away. "They're all saying: If you've got to fight, why can't you do it anywhere else!"

"I'd say that'd be a pretty good guess." Ritsuko replied, picking up her mug of coffee and taking a sip. Misato scoffed, collapsing against her seat, the reports completely obscuring the woman from view.

"I'll deal with it after we defeat this Angel. We still have to deal with Ramiel's remains as well, so I won't get into this until she's completely gone." Misato sighed, crossing her hands under her face in an impeccable imitation of Commander Ikari's favourite position to sit in. She relaxed slightly, still scowling at the pile of papers. "How are the Eva repairs going?" She asked, glancing at the Chief Scientist.

"It'll be five days before either Unit-01 or Unit-02 are combat ready." Ritsuko replied, leaning on the papers to look at her friend.

"Great." Misato muttered to herself, staring at the ceiling. "What about the Angel?"

"Currently regenerating. The MAGI predict that it will be six days before it attacks again."

"Six days." Misato said, running ideas in her head. "Six days to come up with a suitable plan to defeat the Angel. I guess it's a relief that both sides are out of action for now."

"The Commander doesn't show it very well, but he was completely livid. I'd be careful Major, I wouldn't put it past Fuyutsuki to demote you to Captain, or even Lieutenant. However, considering Commander Ikari was there, I wouldn't be surprised that you would be fired if you failed again." Ritsuko commented, giving her friend a small smile. Misato growled back at her.

"Don't talk like that, Ritsuko!" She said, fiddling with her red jacket.

"Of course, it would really save your job if a brilliant idea came by." Ritsuko said, reaching into her coat pockets, pulling out a floppy disk. "Like this one, for instance." Misato perked up instantly, grabbing the disk and running it around in her hands.

"Oh, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi! I knew you'd come through for me! Just what are friends for am I right? An amazing idea! I wonder how you thought of it!" Misato said, reaching over to hug her friend. Ritsuko moved back, out of the way, staring back at her friend.

"I'd love to take the credit for this idea, but unfortunately, it's not me who will be bailing out an old friend." Misato stared at her friend, confusion on her face.

"Then… who came up with the idea?" Misato asked, glancing down at the disk. It read three simple words: To My Honey. Misato started to dread the answer she knew Ritsuko would give her.

"It was Kaji!" Ritsuko replied, a small smile on her face. Misato scowled, chucking the disk out of her hands and onto the pile of papers in front of her.

"I don't want it!" Misato said, growling under her breath as she glanced at her friend.

"So, I'd take it you'd rather get fired by the Commander then?" Ritsuko rhetorically asked, knowing the Misato would take up Kaji's plan that the man had come up with after the initial Angel attack.

"Ugh, fine." Misato said, going back over and grabbing the disk, running it around in her hands again. "I'll use _his_ plan, but that doesn't mean I'm taking him back! That jerk!" Misato said, as Ritsuko gave her friend a smile, turning away from her friend to leave the room. She glanced in once more as she stood in the doorway, and caught her friend staring at the disk sitting in her hands. Misato had a small but fond smile on her face, a reminder of memories from years past. Ritsuko smiled, knowing her friend was feeling conflicted on the inside, and left the room.

'You dork.' Misato thought about Kaji, for once not thinking of the man in some sort of scorn, but instead, amusement. Memories flooded her as she put the disk in and listened to the man's plan.

_– End –_

* * *

**September 5th, 2015**

_– Evangelion 2.0 OST – Disc 1, Track 8 – 2EM09_YAMASHITA –_

The early morning sun shone brightly against the tranquil dawn that was a new day in Tokyo-3. The shifting sands of the buildings turning, the solar panels on the sides the structures on the city's outskirts turning as the sun rose, the panels shifting so they could get as much of the morning sun as possible, the light reflecting of them in beautiful patterns, shifting towards the power for that day.

All around, men and women started their days, wondering about the city, heading towards their workplace for that day. Most were yawning due to the early wake-up call for most the city's occupants, but this was completely normal on a work day.

Shinji had started that day like any other. Misato hadn't been home that morning, and he'd thought that she wouldn't. He knew that she had a large pile of reports and bills to scroll through after the events of the battle the day before. In a change of pace, Sachiel, Shamshel and Ramiel were going to come with him to school today for a change, as they all felt that hanging around at NERV was getting boring.

Shinji smiled as he saw his friends waiting for him. 'Where's Asuka?' He thought as he stepped off the escalator and met up with the small group of friends. They all gave each other greetings and set off towards school. They entered the school early for a change, largely due to Hikari making completely sure that they would arrive on time for once, Toji, Kensuke and Mari had heavily objected to this idea, while Shinji and Rei really couldn't care less.

Their arrival at the classroom sparked the start of the long school day, one that they knew would be a complete waste of time, despite Hikari's common protests on the matter, and the knowledge that one of their number was absent that day, and unusually, it was not Rei, for she had returned to school again.

They all settled at their desks, returning to their usual tasks: Shinji, Toji and Kensuke talking about whatever they felt like. Mari just generally trying to be the most annoying person she could in any situation. Rei, who had resumed her favourite pastime of staring out the window. And finally, Hikari, who had assumed her Class Representative persona as soon as she stepped in the room, and had proceeded to start organising everything required of her before the day was up.

Overall, it felt quite normal, despite missing one of their number.

_– End –_

The day progressed as best as it could. The absence of their German comrade made the day quite a bit more normal for anyone who wasn't the Children and their small group of friends. Their Sensei arrived, Hikari stood and uttered her usual: "Rise! Bow! Sit!" And class started as normal. Their fellow students started to fall asleep from the boring lecture that continued to be the same day after day. To most students, Second Impact really wasn't that interesting anymore, especially to the pilots, who knew what the true story behind the event was.

So, the day progressed as usual. The bell rung. Lunch came and went, and they were right into their Physical Education class. The boys ogled the girls, the girls found it disgusting and made their comments known. The day soon came to an end after that, with Hikari finally giving the final call to allow every to head home for the day and finally relax after a long day's work at school.

The small group walked together out the school doors, chatting as they went. "Toji, you really should stop staring at us during PE. It's weird…" Hikari muttered as they walked, causing the jock to glance over at her.

"I wasn't looking, honest." Toji replied, fumbling over his words, causing both Shinji and Kensuke to laugh at their friend.

"Sure, you weren't." Shinji commented, with Sachiel popping out of Shinji's shirt pocket to give his own comments.

"Don't worry, Toji!" The Angel said, giving him a pat on the back. "We've all wanted to conduct that experiment at some point, haven't we?" Sachiel asked, glancing around at all the three male members of their group. All three blushing simultaneously. "See, told you." Sachiel simply commented, continuing to float in the air.

"Don't be so discouraged." Mari said, watching as Rei just looked in confusion, wondering what they were talking about. "It's only natural that they want to know what we're like underneath. Besides, we are the ones that have direct viewing at any point in the day!"

"Mari…" Hikari said, blushing brightly. "Could you maybe… not?"

"What's wrong, Freckles? Am I embarrassing you in front of your boyfriend?" Hikari once again blushed hard, hiding her face behind her hair.

"It's not… I'm not…"

"Cut it out, Mari." Toji commented, coming towards the point where they would split off for the evening. "Look, why don't we all just head home and relax, alright. We've got more school tomorrow anyway, so why not make the most of it?"

"Don't act like you don't care, Jock, but sure, I'll head home. Don't do anything I wouldn't do, you two!" Mari said, wandering away from the group, chuckling in Toji and Hikari's direction. As soon as the hyper girl had left, Hikari turned on Shinji.

"Please don't tell me you haven't given her any ideas!" She said, her eyes narrowed as she stormed on the boy.

"No. Never." Shinji replied, chuckling as he started to break away from the group himself. "That's all on her." He simply said, giving the small group a wave as he exited himself, leaving only Rei, and the three non-pilots left.

"Well, I will also leave now." Rei commented, her voice soft as she gently started to walk away, a calm look on her face. "I will see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Rei!" Hikari said, giving the red-eyed girl a hug. Rei stood still for a moment, before softly returning the hug.

"That was… nice." Rei finally decided, smiling slightly to herself as she left the group of three.

"Well, we'd better get moving Class Rep." Kensuke said, heading towards where he knew the remaining members of their group lived. "As Toji said, we should make the most of it."

"Yeah." Hikari replied, giving her friends a small smile, leaving with them. As she walked beside them, she had a small smile on her face. Happy that she had a group of people she could call her friends again. Being the Class Rep created this reputation that you were hard to get along with, but as her friends repeatedly told her. She was worth a lot more than that.

* * *

The daylight was slowly fading away as Shinji walked home after parting ways with his friends. As he walked, his thoughts were on their newest arrival, wondering what she had done that day. He glanced to his left, as NERV trucks drove past. He stared after them, wondering just what they had been around the area for. 'Why are they here?' He asked himself, before continuing on his walk, his thoughts back on the red-haired pilot. 'Asuka… Langley Soryu… She's an interesting person. She must be the only person I've seen who's actually wanted to pilot an Eva…' Shinji stayed on this line of thought as he walked into the apartment complex, and quietly but quickly walked up the stairs to Misato's apartment. 'Still, she's definitely a massive help, actually having two working Eva's now. Although, she seems to have more thoughts of attacking an Angel directly, with no plan of attack…' Shinji sighed as he opened the front door to the apartment, entering the space to find it dark. "I'm home!" He called out, stepping quietly into the small place. "Not that anyone's here of course…" He said, walking down the hallway, noticing the boxes sitting on the side, blocking half the hallway. 'Weird…' He thought, stepping up to his room and opening the door… finding it filled with boxes. "Wait a minute! What the hell happened here!? What happened to my room! Whose crap is this!" He muttered to himself, watching as Sachiel flew out of his pocket, immediately followed by Shamshel and Ramiel. Sachiel glanced around, taking in the room itself.

"Well, it would seem that someone has been doing some renovating around here." Sachiel said, inspecting the boxes now in the room.

"We understand that, Sachiel." Shamshel replied, moving towards a nearby box and pulling out a distinctly yellow sundress.

"Yes."

"I think I have a feeling who it could be…" Shamshel stated, turning to Shinji who was staring in shock at the yellow sundress that he knew a certain Second Child wore only days before.

_– Evangelion 2.0 OST – Disc 1, Track 6 – 2EM07_KK_B09_InDoor –_

"Before you ask, that is not crap! Put my stuff down! To answer your question, those are my personal belongings!" Came the voice of Asuka, who was currently standing in the hallway watching the proceedings, drinking a glass of something, presumably whatever she had found in the fridge that day. She was obviously dressed casually, a simple but effective pink dress sitting on her figure, with some shorts to accompany it. Shinji turned, shock coming onto his face.

"Huh? Wait, what are you doing here!? At my house!? Where'd you put my stuff!?" Shinji asked, Asuka brought her glass down, tossing it to the floor, leaving it to sit on the ground.

"God, you can be an idiot sometimes. It looks like you've been replaced." Asuka replied, giving the boy a small look.

"Replaced?" Shinji asked, shock and confusion coming onto his features, he watched as Asuka smiled thinly at him.

"Yeah, you've been replaced by the new model." She replied, stepping forward, leaning against the door, watching as Shinji continued to watch her with shock. "It's rather obvious that Misato wanted to live with another woman, so you've been chucked out. Besides, it's obvious I would be the top pick for anyone considering my superior piloting abilities." Asuka said, watching as Shinji stared back at her in horror.

"You've got to be joking…" He muttered watching as Asuka immediately returned to a gleeful and happy mode.

"Although if I got to choose, I think I'd rather live with Kaji!" She said, squealing slightly, immediately returning Shinji to an exasperated look.

"Are you serious?" He asked, watching as she took in the look of the room.

"Of course!" Asuka replied, turning hotly towards him. "Why wouldn't I be? I'd rather live with a real man, and not a wimp like you…"

"You're still annoyed about the Angel are you." Shinji muttered, glancing at the hallway, where he saw more boxes.

"Although, I don't know how you guys can live with such small rooms. I couldn't even fit half of my stuff in here!" Shinji glanced at a single box in the corner, where he saw his own stuff.

"Okay, seriously, Asuka!? How much stuff do you even need!?"

"Also, don't you Japanese have any sense of privacy." Asuka continued, starting to slam open and shut the door repeatedly.

"She's not even listening to me." Shinji muttered, turning to the Angels, who simply shrugged in response.

"Look, you can deal with her, we'll go find Gaghiel. Cool? Cool." Sachiel said, before flying away quickly. Shinji spluttered, watching as they left.

"How do you even live in rooms without locks! It's like someone can just walk in on you! It's completely unbelievable!" Shinji frowned, turning around, and jumping back immediately, right into Asuka. Both of them stared in shock as Misato stood there, arms crossed and a stern look on her face.

"That's because it's the Japanese way to be considerate of the priorities and needs of others, before ourselves." She said, glancing at her charges out of the corner of her eye.

"Misato!" Shinji replied, staring in shock. Asuka grumbled at being pushed backwards against the wall, before pushing back hard against him.

"Hurry up and move your stuff out of here, dammit! I need to move my own stuff in!" Asuka said, ready to start another fight with the boy, who had turned to stare hard at her. Misato however, stepped in before anything could get out of hand.

"Now, now. Shinji is not going anywhere." Misato replied, a happy smile on her face.

"What do you mean!?" Asuka replied, her head coming up to rest on Shinji's shoulder, so she could get a good look at Misato. Shinji blushed slightly, trying not to stare at the girl beside him.

"Listen to me, if the two of you are going to work together, you need to work on your conversation skills. You're both fellow pilots now, so you two will live here together with me! So, you can learn to not get into petty squabbles like you did yesterday. Besides, it's also part of your training!"

"Say what?" Both Shinji and Asuka replied, staring at Misato in disbelief.

_– End –_

_– NGE S2 Works – Disc 1, Track 5 – A-3 (NERV, Rhythm Only) –_

"I know what I said, now come on! Before you unpack, Asuka, I have some things to talk about with you. Not only regarding your behaviour yesterday, but also our plan for counterattack. Understand?" Misato said, leaving no room for reply as she left towards her room. Changing into something that she found more comfortable for the evening, she sat down at the table and watching as Pen-Pen went towards the bathroom for his evening bath. She laughed to herself as Shinji and Asuka sat down at the table in front of her, listening carefully. "Now, listen carefully, because I'm only going to tell you this once. From our discussions at NERV and talks about our plan of attack, we've decided that there's only one way to defeat the Seventh Angel! Due to the way the Angel operates, we've figured out that even separated, the Angel acts as one, operating in perfect tandem." Misato said, slamming her local can of beer down at the table, just so the children knew that she was getting her point across. "We need to execute a simultaneous attack on the Angel's twin cores at the same time while the Angel is split in two. What I'm asking of you two is an attack by two Eva's, working in perfect synchronisation." Shinji and Asuka stared in wonder, turning to each other briefly, wondering just what Misato was possibly saying. "To succeed at this, we'll need cooperation from both of you. But, we also need you both to be in perfect harmony, or else the mission will be a failure." Misato said, looking between her two charges. "It is because of this, that you two will be living here together for the foreseeable future."

"What!" Asuka shouted out immediately, leaning forward on the table so she could glare hard at the Major. "It's always been said that boys and girls should no longer live under the same roof after the age of seven! This is ridiculous!" Asuka grumbled, crossing her arms under her chest as she slumped back in her chair.

"Well, then just be glad that I won't take no for an answer!" Misato replied, sipping her beer, giving Asuka a stern look.

"Misato's right." Sachiel said, floating onto the table so he could talk to everyone at once. "Israfel has always been the only one of us who can split into two copies of itself. It's always worked in perfect synchronisation as well, even when it's just pranking us. We agree with this plan. This is the only way you'll be able to beat Israfel."

"We'd love to help, Asuka!" Gaghiel said, floating beside the girl. "But even with our extra abilities, because we're all different, we'd be more of a hindrance than a help."

"Gaghiel's right. This needs to be done entirely up to you guys. Israfel is still out there, and if we know our siblings, they'll be using their unique ability to take as much of an advantage as possible. If we can remove that advantage, that gives us more of a chance to win, and bring Israfel to our side." Shamshel said, his little feet scratching his chin in an attempt to look like he was in thought, but it just looked utterly hilarious.

"Yes." Ramiel said, shifting her entire body to nod at the children.

"I still don't understand what you're so upset about, Asuka?" Misato asked, giving the girl a look. "What's the big problem of living with Shinji?"

"B-But…" Asuka started, but Misato cut her off immediately.

"I'm not finished, Asuka! This is an operational necessity! We need you both to be in perfect harmony for this to work! Simply training together is not going to be enough! So, we're going to be synching your biological rhythms as well. So, you're going to be sleeping together, getting up together, eating together, doing everything together, and you're going to be training together. Now I ask you, Asuka. What's the big deal?" Misato finished, staring directly at the girl.

"Okay, what if Shinji gets up in the middle of the night and is so horny that he attacks me!?" Asuka asked, pointing at the boy beside her, who just stared at her in shock. Misato however, promptly burst out laughing.

"You don't need to worry about that, Asuka! Shinji's not that type of guy. Although…" Misato then got up and whispered specifically to Asuka, but keeping it high enough so Shinji could still hear her. "Shinji really wouldn't have the guts." Asuka smiled slightly, giving Shinji an evil smirk. Shinji just turned away, muttering under his breath.

"And even if I did, she'd kill me." Asuka growled, hearing the boy, and moved to whack him. Misato promptly intervened.

"Don't kill each other before we have to kill the Angel." Misato stated, sitting back down. "To finish, the Angel is currently regenerating itself. It will pick itself back up and attack again in six days. We have no time."

"What you're asking us is impossible!" Asuka said, slumping back down. Misato grinned.

"Then be thankful that we have a way to make the impossible, possible." She replied, pulling out a single cassette tape. "In order for you both to be in perfect synchronisation, we've choreographed an attack pattern to the piece of music on this tape here. Follow it exactly, and you two will be in perfect sync, and you'll be able to completely destroy both targets. We begin tonight, and we attack in six days. Take some time to freshen up, as we'll be getting started as soon as dinner is over." Misato said, getting up and heading towards her own room, leaving the two children by themselves in the kitchen.

_– End –_

Asuka immediately put her head in her hands, mumbling to herself as she processed exactly what she had just been told. "Reality has become an illusion. This has to be a nightmare. Beating the Angel can't be worth this."

"Well, it is." Sachiel said, coming over to the girl. "Israfel has always been able to do this. We just need to exploit that. We can't help unfortunately. We've already tried. This is our last chance." Shinji got up and put his hand on Asuka's shoulder.

"So, I can have the first shower? Or do you want to have it?" He asked, glancing towards the bathroom door. "I'd just like to cool off a little bit."

"_Nein!_" Asuka replied, pushing Shinji's hand of her and immediately facing him. "Haven't you ever heard of chivalry Third Child!?" She asked, watching him carefully.

"Of course…" Shinji replied.

"You didn't have to answer that…" Asuka replied, stepping towards the bathroom door. "Anyway, it's ladies first! So, I'll go before you!" She said, stepping inside the bathroom, shutting the door quickly. Shinji turned away, heading towards the kitchen itself.

"Well, guess I'll start cooking some dinner then." Shinji muttered, starting to prepare some food for the evening when the bathroom door immediately opened again. He turned to look at Asuka, who was giving him a hard stare from across the room.

"One more thing, Shinji." She said, making sure he heard every word. "No. Peeking."

"Didn't you say yesterday you didn't mind if I had one of those photos of you?" Shinji asked, pointing out her words from the day before. Asuka blushed, growling back at him.

"Don't mistake what I say, idiot!" Asuka said, glaring at him.

"Yeah, yeah. Okay. Don't worry, I won't peek. Probably because the effort would kill me." Shinji muttered, returning to his cooking.

"Hey! What is that supposed to mean!?" Asuka asked, preparing to step forward and get in the boy's face again.

"Just go take a shower!" Shinji finally said, waiting until the door closed, before finally releasing the breath he'd been holding in. 'Well, I should probably be glad that I'm doing this with Asuka.' Shinji thought, as he set the pan on heat and started chopping some vegetables. 'Although, I didn't think I'd be doing anything like this at NERV. Seems unreal that we'd be doing this. If it was Rei that I was doing this with, I'm sure it'd be fine, but I'd be trying desperately to strike up conversation. She doesn't seem the type of speak much. As for Mari, she'd probably be making constant innuendo's, and I don't think I'd be able to take much of that for six days straight. At least with Asuka, I might be able to have proper conversations. If she's not still annoyed at me.'

Misato had by this point returned to the kitchen, now adequately in home mode, she grabbed herself another can of beer and promptly settled down at the kitchen table. She cracked open her can of beer, and promptly went:

_– Evangelion 1.0 OST – Track 10 – EM08_B17_Edit#070705 –_

"YEEEEEEEHHHHHHHAAAAAHHHHH!" She cried out as she knocked her can back and chucked it in the corner. "Yep, that's definitely still the stuff!" She said, turning to look at Shinji. "Oh, Shinji's cooking dinner again! What are we having tonight?"

"Just some fried vegetables, because you went shopping." Shinji replied from his spot in the kitchen, glancing over his shoulder at his guardian.

"Great! Anything you cook is good, Shinji! Now, where's Asuka?" Before Shinji could answer, an inhuman scream came from the direction of the bathroom. "Don't worry, Shinji. I know now." Misato smirked as Asuka came barrelling into the kitchen, baring all, pointing abruptly towards the bathroom.

"There's this thing! A weird creature! It was just sitting there in the bathroom!" Asuka cried out as Pen-Pen waddled out of the bathroom, settling himself at the kitchen table, his own can of beer in his fins. Asuka just stared at him as he walked by, shock and confusion on her face. Misato laughed as she picked up her next can of beer, watching the proceedings with interest.

Shinji laughed as she continued to cook by the pan. "Sorry, Asuka! I forgot about Pen-Pen! He's just a penguin!" Shinji turned around to apologise to Asuka in person, and promptly caught an eyeful of everything. Shinji turned red. Really red. Only a few thoughts going through his head.

'Asuka.'

'Breasts.'

'Asuka.'

'Naked.'

'Oh god.'

Asuka just glanced at Shinji in confusion, wondering why the boy had suddenly gone completely red. She glanced down at herself, and noticing her current state of undress, also proceeded to go completely red. "Oh shit…" Shinji muttered to himself, knowing exactly what was going to come.

Misato continued to watch in satisfaction, a large smile on her face. "Oh, look at that Pen-Pen! They match!" Asuka immediately ran forward and kicked Shinji in the face, causing the boy to crumple to the floor. Asuka immediately covered herself as best as she could, shouting obscenities in her native language as she went.

"_Sie überlegt pervers! _Letch! I thought I told you not to peek!" Asuka shouted, as she glared hard at the boy lying on the floor ahead of her. She quickly rushed back to the bathroom, shutting the door quickly.

Misato laughed from her position on the table, sipping her beer once again. "Well, you can certainly tell that they're getting more comfortable with each other, right Pen-Pen?" Said Penguin gave a satisfied wark in reply, leaving Shinji to get up on his own.

_– End –_

Misato smiled, before leaving the room again, and Pen-Pen went to his freezer to relax for a bit. "I've got some work to do, okay, Shinji? Let me know when Dinner's ready!"

"Okay, Misato!" Shinji replied, setting some final things on to cook and then returning to the table. He waited, watching the food in the pan from afar. He noticed the shower turn off, watching as Asuka stepped out of the bathroom, her hair a deep red due to how wet it was, her body wrapped in a towel.

"Hey, Shinji, I'm all freshened up now!" She said, coming into the kitchen, using loose bits of towel to dry her hair. "You can have a shower now, if you want." She said, stepping forward. Shinji was red all over again, trying to stammer out a response.

"W-what? W-Why aren't you dressed?" He finally asked, as Asuka came and stood in front of him, watching him with a baleful eye.

"I just came out of the shower." Asuka replied, using her fingers to run through her hair. "I had a question for you, by the way." She said, turning around in front of the boy. "What do you think of my body?" She asked, giving him a smirk.

"Didn't you already tell me not to peek?" Shinji asked, keeping his eyes on Asuka's face.

"I did, but considering you've already seen all of me. I figured what's the problem." Asuka replied, she decided to tease the boy, leaning forward a little. "You've seen my breasts. What did you think? I think they've come through quite nicely." Asuka said, giving him a good view of her cleavage.

"I-I don't know!" Shinji replied, turning away from her. Asuka sighed, deciding to sit down next to him. "I'm sorry."

"Stop apologising." Asuka replied, drumming her fingers on the table. "What's for dinner?"

"Fried vegetables. Misato went shopping."

"Boring." She replied, resting her head on the table.

"Aren't you angry at me?" Shinji asked, glancing at the girl, who gave him a puzzled look.

"No, of course not!" Asuka replied, sitting up immediately. "Why would you think that?"

"Because, it just seemed like you were really annoyed after the battle yesterday." Shinji replied, Asuka smiled slightly shifting slightly so she could face him.

"I was, a little bit. But I mostly just find it fun. I wasn't actually angry at you." Asuka replied. "Although, it is fun to keep you on your toes." Asuka grinned, causing Shinji to blush slightly.

"So, you weren't actually angry at me?" Shinji asked, a hopeful tone in his voice.

"Of course, I wasn't! I just like fighting with you because you actually bite back. Not like the First, who doesn't speak much, or Makinami, who takes everything sexually. No, you're the only one who actually bites back."

"Kind've like Misato and Kaji." Shinji muttered, causing Asuka to blush.

"Yeah…" She simply said, watching the boy as he stood up and returned to the pan, preparing to serve the meal for the evening. Asuka also stood, heading towards her new room. She stopped briefly, turning back to the boy. "Hey Shinji?"

"Yeah?" Shinji replied, turning to face her, a questioning look on his face. Asuka gave him a smirk.

"I still don't mind." She said, blushing slightly. "Although I'm sure Misato enjoyed the show a lot more than you did." Shinji blushed right back, returning to his work so she wouldn't see how red he'd got. Asuka smiled to herself, entering her room. She glanced back over her shoulder, thoughts coming to her mind. 'I don't know why, but I feel so comfortable around you. It's weird, as I've never been comfortable around anyone else besides… mother.'

* * *

_– Evangelion 1.0 OST – Track 17 – EMA_13_A –_

Rei stared around her as she wandered the steps towards her home. The construction vehicles still around the place, as they usually were, just waiting patiently for the day that they would be able to take the place down completely. Considering half the dilapidated building was already destroyed, it certainly wouldn't be long before it would be taken down completely. 'I was told this was my home.' Rei thought, as she walked through her front door, stepping into the small dark space. 'Commander Ikari and Dr. Akagi told me to live here, yet this isn't going to be very suitable living soon.' She stepped past her sink, where some glasses sat unattended, just waiting for the day they would be cleaned. She went to the nearby cupboard and pulled out a small bottle, containing an assortment of pills inside it.

She gently dropped her school bag beside her bed, and sat in her single chair. Glancing down at the bottle, she let one of the pills fall out onto her hand. She stared at it. Hard. 'Why must I take these?' She asked herself continuing to glance at them. 'Dr. Akagi told me it was for my health. But is it? I feel… strange when I take these.' She glanced up, thinking it over in her head. 'I'll ask my friends about this. Maybe they know something.' She noted, moving over to her bed. She stripped down, knowing this was her preferred state, and proceeded to lie down under the thin sheet the bed had. As Rei slowly drifted off to sleep, the pills sat nearby, on the bed stand, unattended.

_– End –_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sync Ratios:  
Shinji: 64.8% (+ 0.5%)  
Asuka: 61.1% (+ 0.4%)  
Rei: 50.0% (+/- 0.0%)  
Mari: 25.1% (+ 1.5%, In Unit-01/Test Plug)  
Shinji/Asuka (Dual): 75% (- 50.0%, In Unit-13 (Half-Complete))
> 
> Current Shoulder Angels:  
Shinji – Sachiel, Shamshel, Ramiel  
Asuka – Gaghiel  
Mari – Skeletal
> 
> Angels Defeated: 5 / ?
> 
> German-English:  
Was War Das? – What Was That?  
Mein Gott – My God  
Hört auf, Dinge anzunehmen, Asuka – Stop assuming things, Asuka  
Es tut mir leid – I'm Sorry  
Hallo! Guten Morgen! – Hello! Good Morning!  
Ernsthaft? – Seriously?  
Lehrt dieser kerl nicht jemals etwas anderes? – Doesn't this guy ever teach anything else?  
Was für ein idiot – What an idiot  
Dummkopf – Idiot  
Oh gott! – Oh god!  
Bleiben sei mir aus dem weg! – So, stay out of my way!  
Kommen sie und holen sie es! – Come and get it!  
Berechnen! – Charge!  
Schiesse! – Shit!  
Verdammt! – Dammit!  
Halt den mund! – Shut up!  
Nein! – No!  
Sie überlegt pervers! – You inconsiderate pervert!
> 
> So, there we go! The first half of Episode 9! Shinji and Asuka are now living together, and they have to work together to take down Israfel. I absolutely love this Episode, it's my favourite of the series, so I'm very excited to jump into the second half of this Episode in Chapter 22. Also, coming with Chapter 22 will be the rewrite of Chapter 2 as well, so two things to look forward to! Lots of content from the Manga and Rebuild 2.22 here as well, so great combinations of lots of content. With that being said, I'll catch you all next time!


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